The Three Heroes: A Pokemon Black and White Fanfiction
by Magnusthegreat
Summary: Three different heroes, three different lives, and three different beliefs will converge in one epic journey around the legend-centered land of Unova. Join Emma, Jack, and N through the human experience as they discover love, courage, maturity, and the limits of humanity. Journey fic. A little shipping. A lot of unique ideas. And some crappy grammar. :)
1. Prologue: The Three Heroes

**Yeah, I've cleared this shitty message up a bit. Anyways, welcome to my new ****fan fiction. The other one is one hiatus so here is another way to eat up my free time. Feel free to criticize my crappy grammar and misused words. (don't worry, I'm pretty sure what you've got to say isn't as bad as what I've heard from my English teacher.) The next chapter is also up (finally).**

**THIS IS AN AVERAGE JOURNEY FICTION FOLLOWING THE POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE GAME PLOT...WITH SOME ORIGINAL CONTENTS :)**

**Okay this story centers around three people: Jack, Emma, and N. They are three different people with three different backgrounds and beliefs. I added Jack into the mix because when I originally planed the story, he was suppose to be the main character. The ideas progressed, I've realized that most of it didn't make much sense, so I added Emma and N and replaced Jack with Emma as the main character. Nevertheless, I felt guilty to discard such a good character, so I added him back. So, try to enjoy this completely fucked up story about moral vs. beliefs. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own the OCs in this fan fiction. **

* * *

POKÉMON BLACK&amp;WHITE FAN FICTION

Prologue: The Three Heroes

**WHITE -.-**

_Pokémon World…_

At the brink of a cliff somewhere in Hoenn, a small Wurmple wiggled home. The late afternoon light guided the tinny worm-like Pokémon as he navigated through the rough terrain of tall grasses and pebbles. There was only one thought he had in mind: to get home before dark. But his plan was interrupted by a small drop of water. It was minor in human standards but to the little Wurmple, it was almost as big as himself. It crashed down on him, soaking the Pokémon from head to tail. The little fella shook himself dry and looked up at the source of the downpour. _It couldn't have rained so soon,_ he thought. _Last time I checked, the sky was as clear as glass._ But soon, another droplet fell on the Wurmple, then another. Quickly, the Pokémon wiggled behind a rock where he would be safe from the rain.

But the ten-year-old girl sitting on top of the rock wasn't so lucky. The tiny little Wurmple might be able to hide from the world behind a large mass of stone but she still had to move to a new region tomorrow. It wasn't rain that soaked the Wurmple but her tears.

The young girl – Emma White was her name – didn't like the idea one bit. She stormed out of her house the second her mother mentioned the news. It was altogether so sudden. Everything was fine yesterday, she had all her friends and her beloved little sanctuaries to hang out after school. But now her mother was talking about moving? Why? The poor girl ran from the house before her mother could explain. But she didn't need to. It was the Devon Corporation again; it had always been the Devon Corporation. Ever since she was little, her mother would obsess over the company. She was the CEO of the corporation and she took pride in it too. Why can't her mother be normal…like her friend May's who baked cookies for her every time she came over. Emma's mother just enclosed herself inside her office and paid for a babysitter to take care of Emma and her friends. And now, her mother wants to move without telling her like if she was just some job while the Devon Corporation was her child.

Emma stared into the horizon from her spot on the cliff. It was one of her private places, the kind that she tells no one about. The view from the rock face was beautiful. It overlooked the cool mist from the other mountains and the graceful silhouettes of Swellows flying beneath. Why would anyone want to leave this place? She brushed her long, dark brown hair aside and waited for her anger to settle.

After a while the blinding light from the setting sun burned her eyes so much that she was forced to turn away. When she did, her gaze fell upon the red bicycle she had used to get here (the cliff was located in the outer borders town), _I'm never going back!_ Emma thought. _I will stay here and rot and mommy will be sorry that she every mentioned moving to me!_ However, that dream seemed dim in the abyss for in the next ten minutes, the sun had completely sunk out of the skyline. A cold wind blew, cutting into the little girl's skin like knives. She shivered in her thin jacket but her will remained strong. She hugged herself and rubbed her hands on her shoulders to keep warm. The girl fueled her determination by thinking unkindly of her mother. She had only gotten wind of the news today! There was no time to say goodbye to any of her friends. All they would get was an "Emma has moved" from the teacher. Then they'll blame her for not telling them earlier.

Emma killed time on the cliff by reading a book from her backpack with the flashlight she'd always carried around with her. Soon, night came and the brilliant stars and moon shined light into the blackness. It was one of those evenings that gave hope. The brightness from above shinning into the gloom below meant that light will always be where there is darkness. And the light gave Emma the courage and optimism she needed to head back and face the world. _Maybe a new region won't be so bad,_ Emma thought as she climbed on to her bike. _Maybe I'll even like it there. I could make new friends and discover different Pokémon._

As she rode into the civilization of her town, she felt a new radiance of hope, as if the stars were trying to tell her something. But if the stars were giving her something, it shouldn't be hope but a warning. Nonetheless Emma didn't realized that yet. What she did realized was that even though she couldn't hide from the world behind a rock, she had the strength to stand up for against all projectiles that life launched in her way. In a sense, she was the rock.

**GRAY O.O**

_Our World…_

Meanwhile, around the same time in our world, a boy about the same age as Emma sat near the edge of a giant clock face. His name was Jacques Gray but everyone called him Jack. The boy just sat there, on top of the adoption center where he lived; apparently looking for something he couldn't see. The sinking sun was reflected on his dark, orb-like eyes while the clock hands casted a shadow on his hard jawline and skinny stature.

The adoption center used to be a rather elevated clock tower, but now the lower parts had been empty out and small bunk beds and tables replaced the old machinery. But for some reason, after decades of neglect, the hands still managed to move regularly as if it was defying the world. The clock room was dark, especially when the sun went down. All the shade cast by random objects in the room made it hard to see anything else besides the clock face. Nonetheless, Jack didn't mind. The clock room was the only place where he truly felt at home, not the unlivable accommodation of the rooms below. Just then he heard a set of footsteps thumping against the delicate stairs.

"Jack," a familiar voice entered his ears. "I've got a letter for you from Mrs. Watson."

Jack cursed. "Why can't you ever come up here with good news Bill?"

"Don't judge me," a boy roughly a year younger than Jack stepped out of the shadows. As opposed to Jack's jet-black hair, he had light blondish curls. He handed the other boy a white envelope. "Miss Martin told me not to open it but that doesn't stop me from smelling it." He had a dreamy look in his light blue eyes. "Don't you think she's just wonderful?"

"Stop smelling that!" Jack warned, snatching the letter away from the younger one. "For all we know, she scented it with laudanum."

"Why do you have to be so pessimistic all the time?" Bill rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm telling you, this could be it. She could be the one. I mean, she is married and has a big house and she is definitely rich. I think you will have a jolly time with her as your foster parent."

Jack glared at him. "She's just like the rest of them. A little money and an intoxicating smell don't make her any better."

"So, your parents had a lot of money too! You didn't run away after two weeks."

"That's different,"

Judging by his tone, Bill realized that he shouldn't press the matter further. He just waited quietly as his friend torn open the envelope and practically ripped the letter out. Jack's sharp eyes darted around as he carefully read the message inside. He had plenty of education when his parents were still alive. They were quite affluent back then but an unfortunate car accident killed them both and his younger sister when he was just about seven. The boy was the only survivor in the car. Authorities said that he was lucky, but he would always have a small scar on his neck to remind him of that dreadful day. Jack was appointed to this adoption center the very next day. There were a total of five foster homes that took him in but he was unhappy in either of them, ergo he would constantly run away. Tactlessly, he was always afraid to go far so he would be found the next day and shipped back to the adoption center.

"Bullshit," Jack shouted and shredded the letter and the envelope into pieces. "She canceled her meeting to pick me up early tomorrow morning. I guess our plan will have to be initiated earlier than I'd intended."

"Please Jack," Bill said. "Running away won't solve anything. You'll probably get caught again anyways. One day you will just have to stand up for yourself."

"Yeah, but I will run while I still can."

"Fine," Bill shook his head in disapproval. "Just come down to dinner first. I will try to sneak you a few beef jerkies and Arrowheads for your journey but I fear for you Jack. What if you get lost in the wilderness? What if you food supplies ran out?"

"I will figure something out," Jack assured. He picked himself off the ground and went downstairs with Bill to pack his bags before supper.

That night, when (almost) all the children had gone to bed, Jacques Gray found himself on the clock room again. This time, he took Bill and a small rucksack with him. The two boys stood side by side looking over the small town that lay before them. They waited there in silence until the clock struck twelve – that was when most of the staffs hit the hay.

"You should come too," Jack said breaking the thin layer of ice that had formed between them. They were both terrified for themselves and each other. There was a chance that their three-year friendship will end here, tonight. "We can go out there together. We can watch each other's backs all the way."

Bill shook his head. "I much rather stay. There is food and shelter here but out there…" he stopped and gestured his hand towards the window. "What exactly are you looking for anyways, Jack?"

"I don't know," Jack shrugged. "Maybe I'll hide out there for a while. Then, when I turn eighteen, I can assess my parent's savings. After that I'll probably buy a house or something. I only have what, like eight years ahead of me now."

"That's why you should stay. Go live with a foster family until you become of age. Why risk your life out there when you can have a safe and warm home to wait in?"

"What do I need to tell you? Maybe I'm just not satisfied with my life right now. Maybe I crave something more. Look Bill, this _prison_ here is draining me alive. All the foster homes are too."

"So where are you planning to go?"

Suddenly, Jack rose to his full height. He glanced around the clock room to make sure that no one was watching or even eavesdropping. After a minute or so he seemed satisfied so he dug into his jean pockets carefully, his eyes still alert. Finally he produced a crinkled strip of notebook paper that looked like it'd been there for a while. He unfolded the paper and handed it to his friend.

"Nuvema Town, Unova," Bill read. His tongue curled around the words as if it were salt. "Is that how you pronounced it?"

"Yes," Jack's eyes glowed at the sound of the name. "I found this in the sealed archive next to the Miss Martin's office. She forgot to lock it when she went out about a year ago. At first, I would've escaped anyways, but now I found a destination to look forward to."

"Pardon me for asking but where the heck is Nuvema Town located? Where did you get this crazy idea from anyways?"

Jack gave Bill the same look a math teacher gives when a student couldn't understand a simple equation. "I was snooping around the archive when I found my folder. It was just lying there on the table, opened! I looked through it quickly. Since my family didn't have any relatives the first part I checked was my family history. Unfortunately, there was nothing helpful there. It seems that most of my family members where wiped out by a famous earthquake in San Francisco a century back. But then I found this." He held the paper up as if he won the lottery. "In the very bottom of it there was a name of a town printed there. Obviously, I didn't want to be found so I got a random piece of paper and pencil lying around and scribbled the words down."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I've never heard of a place called Unova before. You yourself said that this was printed on the very bottom of your family history. Are you sure this isn't just some hoax?"

"Who cares," Jack waved his hands, dismissing the question. "I was going to run away anyhow. But at least now I've got a destination in mind."

"And what do you expect to find in this destination of yours?"

"How should I know? Hopefully it's some sort of long lost relative that I actually like."

Bill sighed. "Okay I won't question you any further. Assuming that you did manage to get away, I will cover for you in the morning."

"Thanks man,"

The two of them shook hands firmly, neither willing to let go. But then Jack broke apart and wandered into the back of the room. There was a secret passageway here in the clock room. The boys naturally assumed that this was the shortcut workers used to take to oil the clock handles.

Before Jack stepped through the trapdoor, he took one last look at his friend. Bill saw him and waved. Jack waved back. For a second Jack felt conflicted. Here he was going out on his adventure, seeking a town that might not exist. And there was his best friend, safe in the sanctuary of the clock tower. For some reason, Jack was reminded of a phrase he heard – something about hiding under a rock…

The young boy turned and crawled under the trapdoor. In there he took out his flashlight and shined it around the passageway. He felt strong as he made his way down the long dusty flights of stairs. Nobody could stop him now. His will was solid-set and so was his heart. In some ways he did felt like the clock hands. He would be all alone in his journey like the clock. No one would be there to oil his gears anymore. If he wanted to keep ticking, he would have to stand against the world by himself.

**BLACK ^.^**

_Pokémon World…_

There was a castle in an isolated part of the Unova region. Some said that it just appeared out of thin air one day while others just assumed that it was a hallucination and kept walking without looking back. Nevertheless, not many people saw the structure anyways. With all the myths and rumors going on around it, the residents of nearby towns would rather stay in the comfort of their pillows than to venture out here. A thick layer of fog covered the land around the castle, even during the day. Soon everyone just forgot about it. Inevitably, the stories about the origins of the building still loomed over people's minds. Grownups told exaggerated tales to children, ranging from "Don't venture far, or else the ghosts from the haunted mansion might get you" to "Once upon a time in a dark and stormy night…"

Of course, the stories that centered around the castle were all false. If a daring or confused hiker was to travel beyond the fog, he/she would find a small patch of land untainted by the mist. In fact, the fog just acted as a barrier; the inside of it was quite pleasant. The bright flowers in the garden, the beauty of the fountains, and even the architecture of the walls made the so call "haunted mansion" seemed less daunting. And if the visitor was to look through the window of a certain bedroom on the fourth floor, he or she might find a ten year old boy named Natural Harmonia Gropius (or N as most people called him) shooting a miniature hoop with his basketball.

N was a tall, lanky boy with long flowing green hair tied to the back and a baseball cap to top it off. The youngster was quite lonely there in the castle. But with the help of his childhood friend Zorua, a slate gray, foxlike Pokémon with red and black accents, he managed to make it through the days. His godfather Ghetsis never allowed him to go anywhere past the foggy boundaries of the castle, except on rare occasions when his stepsisters Anthea and Concordia managed to snuck him out through secret underground passageways. The only people N was even allowed to see were his stepsisters and Zorua.

Today, N was tired of the perpetual motion of his basketball swooshing through the net. He picked up his only audience, Zorua, and headed out of his bedroom. Anthea and Concordia were both standing guard in the hallway. They were always there beside him twenty-four seven on Ghetsis's orders. It took him a whole month of convincing his stepfather in order to gain his privacy inside his bedroom.

"Lord N," Anthea said. N wrinkled his nose at the name. He knew that his biological father was once a very rich and powerful nobleman but the name wasn't really sticking. "Are you heading out now? It's quite sunny today with a very fine weather although it might be a bit chilly later in the day. Would you like me to bring you your jacket, or perhaps some warm milk?"

"No thanks Anthea," N replied dismissively. "I'm fine."

But he was not fine. He had longed for a while now to be in town playing with one of his peers, or someone his own age. Unfortunately, his godfather prohibited him to go into town. He was educated by the Seven Sages – a group of Ghetsis's "work buddies" – who takes turns educating him on many subjects.

"Actually, I would rather go out today, into town I mean." N said. Both of his stepsisters blinked. It was partly because of N's suggestion and partly because N had the habit of talking too fast for most people to understand. "I am bored here and there is not one to play with."

"But…but…" Concordia stumbled. "You just went last week. Lord Ghetsis won't be happy when he finds out. Besides you have Zorua to play with and he is a load of fun. Aren't I correct Zorua?"

_Yeah, I'm a load of fun,_ the tiny foxlike Pokémon agreed. Both N and his stepsisters have an unusual gift that allowed them to understand and speak to Pokémon. Although Ghetsis didn't inherited the ability, he told N that his mother could too.

"Come on," N pleaded, putting on his best cute face. "Just this once, Please!"

"Alright," Anthea consented. "Only if you don't make a habit out of this…"

But before she could continue, N was already flying down the stairs, with Zorua bouncing right at his heels. The two sisters rushed after him, fearing that if he wasn't careful, he might trip and fall.

The late morning breeze was indeed chilly but N didn't care. He and his party ran straight across the bridge connecting the castle to the outside world. Immediately they were met by an angry swirl of fog that blurred out the sun, but N had been to town and back on many occasions so he knew where to step. He bounced about skillfully while the rest of them ran after him. Soon the thick gray sheet of fog dispersed and the warm sun welcomed them to another world. The only obstacle standing in their way was a small narrow path with dark, shadowy trees surrounding it.

N's heart pulsated with unspeakable joy and high adrenaline. Finally he had escaped into the civilized world and away from that musty old castle his godfather had kept him in. Throughout the years, N asked Ghetsis many questions about why he was kept there. "Because you are a prince Natural," the man replied. "When you come to age, you will become the new king of Team Plasma. We can't have you running around hurting yourself." But the young boy speculated that he would soon die of boredom than an accident.

N stopped suddenly as he was making his way down the road. Something was wrong and Zorua could sense it too. Was it some sort of predatory Pokémon? But that's impossible; they rarely attack an entire group of humans. Whatever it was, Zorua seemed to know the answer. His fur tensed up and he immediately ran ahead of the party. Anthea and Concordia automatically formed a defense position around the young prince. The three of them followed the fox-like Pokémon further into the shadows of the trees. N never took his eyes off of the dark patch of fur as it sniffed here and there, occasionally pausing to let the rest of them catch up. Then he stopped completely with the brink of his nose nearly touching the body in front of him.

"Oh My Goodness," Anthea cried while her sister could only muster a small squeal of alarm.

Lying on the ground, just inches from Zorua's nose was a small limped body of a Pansear. It wasn't moving and it looked as if it had been there for a while now. The three humans were too frightened to go any closer. Zorua also retreated and jumped back into N's arms. It was _extremely _rare to find a dead Pokémon out in the wild. It was still unclear what actually happens to deceased Pokémon.

"What happened?" N said the only words he could manage.

"He is dead," a grave voice replied. The group turned around a found a man wearing a loosely fitted robe and cape. The sisters immediately bowed their heads at the sight of the man but he paid them no heed as he strolled casually past them. He stopped in front of N and gave him a look of forced sympathy.

"The poor creature had been mistreated," the man spoke. His voice was soft and mellow but there was a rough edge to it.

"How in the world could you possibly know Ghetsis?" N asked.

"Because I've seen him working his head off," Ghetsis replied. "His owner had enslaved him into working 24/7. He tried to escape once but he was captured again."

"Then why didn't you do something," N cried. He felt the tears streaming down his face. "You're powerful. You could've done something."

"I'm sorry N," Ghetsis sighed. "I'm not as powerful as you might think. My organization and I are doing what we can to liberate Pokémon from human grasps but until we do, there will be tiny, unavoidable glitches like this. That is why I hoped that once you become of age, you will lead Team Plasma into accomplishing their lifelong goal. Will you do that?"

N didn't know what else to do but nod obediently. His godfather placed a hand over his tiny shoulder and gave him a gentle, reassuring pat.

"Now," Ghetsis continued. "I won't say anymore about this incident or why you were out here without my permission. Let's just go back to the castle, okay? I'll have Anthea and Concordia whip up your favorite hot chocolate and we can forget all about this unpleasant day."

But unfortunately N couldn't bring himself to forget. As Ghetsis led them back to where they came from, N took one last look back at the deceased Pansear. Hopefully he would have a much more enjoyable life wherever he was going. N had been so powerless to prevent this inhumane act of murder. In a way he felt like the dead Pokémon, too powerless to fight back. But when he grew up he would have the power to prevent this. As the group headed back to the castle, N knew that one day, he would have to power to make a difference.

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**Here is the funny thing: do Pokémon even die? I know that there is this cemetery thing going on and the anime mentioned something about an ghost world but seriously, I want to know! Pokémon can endure attacks like fire balls and metal sticking straight through their back. How the hell do they do that?**

**Honestly, I kind of imagine Anthea and Concordia as badass characters. I mean, they've been taking care of N for a long time so they must know some defensive Kong-Fu moves. They are N's bodyguards. I think they can seriously kick ass,**

**I would really appreciated if you take time to write a review. I believe all good writers should review a story. Keep reviewing in every chapter. Sometimes I just need to see one to know that this is not a waste of time and people actually liked my ideas.**


	2. Chapter 1: A New World

**I started on this during Christmas break. For some reason, after school started, I didn't have much time to write. Stress, stress, stress, and semester one finals. Also, I have a lot of after school activities because of all the stupid clubs I'd joined. Turns out, I've been missing out on social life, so I've also began to hang out with my friends more. And on top of that, my school's orchestra has all these shits planed. I went camping over break too, so time hasn't been well managed.**

**Funny thing: I've just finished this today so I haven't even started on next chapter yet T.T Anyways, after I've competed in all those stupid competitions for my school clubs, I will be back to updating regularly. My life sucks (and so is this last minute title for this chapter)...how about yours?**

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POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter One: A New World

**BLACK ^.^**

_Pokémon World…_

In the castle surrounded by fog, N walked through a long corridor with his stepsisters besides him in elaborate gowns and high-heels. He was also wearing his best outfit - a white suit with a cape draped over his shoulders. It'd been six years since N first witnessed the Pansear's death. He didn't know why he was thinking about it right now. Maybe it had something to do with his sweaty hands. Or maybe it was because today was Coronation Day.

The threesome didn't have much to discuss. Anthea had tried many times to strike up a conversation, but N just nodded his head through every word. The teenager kept his head low, but he still couldn't help staring around the passageway. He had never been to this part of the castle before. There would always be guards around shooting him off. But now everyone was at the throne room waiting for his arrival except the dull, gray walls and leftover Christmas decorations. Of course, no one in the castle cared about Christmas anyways. Anthea and Concordia were the only ones who even bothered to decorate this place. In the past few years, N would catch them placing presents under the Christmas tree. N could clearly remembered waking up three weeks ago and walking downstairs to see presents stacked high. They were supposed to be sent by the Seven Sages but N knew who _actually_ brought them for him. Breakfast, lunch, and supper were the same as always - just the four of them - although Ghetsis did came down and said "Merry Christmas!" a few times. N didn't mind that so much; he knew that his godfather had some very important work going on and did not wish to be disturbed. They probably had something to do with the environment or saving Pokémon.

This year, he didn't feel much like celebrating the holidays either. For one, he had to get comfortable in his new "kingly" clothes and he needed to practice walking down the aisle. Those things were easy but it's the process after that was the most agitating. How did Ghetsis expect a sixteen year old boy to lead an entire organization with thousands of members. Then again, he wouldn't really be the one making all the plans. He just needed to make all the major decisions and leave the rest to the Seven Sages.

N's nerves immediately flared as the symphony's music flowed through his ears. Soon, he found himself strolling through aisle, guided by the sages. Anthea and Concordia had already disappeared into the sea of Team Plasma Grunts. At the end of the red carpet, his godfather awaits. No one spoke as N made his way through; no one even dared to look up. After all, the boy was their king.

Suddenly, N had a brief flashback of his childhood. Before he was adopted by Ghetsis, he was just a five year old boy running around the forest with his Pokémon friends after his parents died. Then one day, a man showed up, claiming to be his godfather and took him to a castle he called home ever since. N didn't know why he was having this flashback now. He barely remembered anything from his childhood in the forest. Throughout most of his life, all he saw were the gray beaten walls of the castle, the warm smiles of his stepsisters, and his friend Zorua - the only Pokémon Ghetsis allowed him to carry inside the castle.

The teenage king awoke from his dream just in time to see Ghetsis place the crown on his forehead. The man then guided his pupil to the throne. _Finally,_ N thought as he settled himself on to the chair. _I can make a difference._

**WHITE -.-**

Miles upon miles away, in a small town called Nuvema Town, a girl was fidgeting restlessly in bed. Emma White turned around and around in her bed, putting her feet up and setting them down again. She felt self-conscious about her movements because everything around her was silent. It was like screaming on top of your lungs in a silent movie theater. Of course, no one could blame her for staying up so late. Just a few streets from her house, two other children were just as impatient as Emma.

Tomorrow morning, the three only children of Nuvema Town would become official trainers of Unova. Emma punched a fist into the air like a street fighter (or a crazy person) and begun boxing with space. She rolled around a little and waited three seconds for sleep to come. When it didn't, she just laid there, fantasizing about her big day.

When she had first moved to Unova, Emma was just a scared, unhappy little girl. Her mother hired a private tutor to home school her so she didn't have much socializing time to make new friends. For about a month she was as lonely as hell. But then came Bianca and Cheren. Their parents were neighbors that always argued, which explains _their_ constant quarrelling. Actually, that was the reason Emma had met them in the first place.

It was one lazy summer day and Emma was walking around town trying the memorize the street names and houses. Suddenly, a girl with short blond hair and a boy with horn rimmed glasses practically drag Emma over and demanded her opinion on the best psychic Pokémon. Emma said Gallade and realized that she had somehow wrong both of them. From then on, they hit it off. Emma discovered that they too were homeschooled and became great friends with them ever since then. In a way, Emma was glad she had moved to Unova.

Slowly Emma's eye lid got heavier and heavier until they drowned out her consciousness. She was ready for her big day and anything her new life threw in her way. Just as long as she stopped the yawning tomorrow.

**GRAY O.O**

_Our World…_

Jacques Gray walked casually around the supermarket aisles, trying to avoid the suspicious glances of fellow shoppers and employees. He tried to blend in the best he could. For all most people knew he was just out shopping with his parents. Soon the speakers bloomed informing everyone that the store would be closing in about half an hour. Most of the after Christmas shoppers piled down to the register while Jack just walked around as if he was searching for his parents. When the coast seemed clear, he slipped into the junk food aisle. It had been six years since his daring escape from the adoption center. He shoplifted millions of times but for some reason he never got tired of the exhilaration one got when they were doing something they knew they shouldn't.

The sixteen year old boy found his hands moving along the shelves, collecting chocolate bars and soda cans while glancing around for any securities or wandering old ladies. After he had stuffed his backpack full, he took one last weary look around and started walking to the back of the store. But just as he got out of the shelves he bumped into someone, forcing both of them to stumble. Jack nearly jump out of his skin but quickly recovered from the accident.

"Sorry," Jack muttered and saw that the person he'd bumped into was a rather tall man suited up in black. But he looked young, probably in his mid-twenties. The man just stared at him as if he had never seem a human being in his entire life. Jack ignored him and hurried off. No need to cause too much suspicion now that the exit was so near.

The thief relaxed as the back entrance came to sight. It was locked but Jack hardly gave it a second thought. Over the years, lock picking became less and less of a challenge and more of a chore. People should be more careful about the tutorial guides they put online. In less than a minute the lock gave in and a small, satisfying click responded. Unfortunately, when he tried to turn the doorknob, all of hell broke out. The alarm sounded and workers and leftover shoppers were running all over the place. It wasn't long before one of the security guards caught sight of the boy.

Jack cursed and ran out the door and into the parking lot. Well, there were times when things go seriously wrong. Jack didn't look back as he sprinted past cars and bushes. He knew they were after him anyways. But tried as he might, they were catching up. Jack could hear the thundering footsteps and frequent shouts getting closer and closer. Soon the shoplifter realized that his backpack was weighing him down. In a split second decision he ditched it behind a bush. _Live to fight another day,_ he thought. There was hardly anyone out and about this late so there weren't a lot of crowds to hide behind. But all the running mind as well have been a practice in futility. Jack knew that it was over when the sound of sirens filled the night. He stopped running. It would just tire him out.

The boy waited as the sirens grew louder by the second. He thought about to the adoption center. _Nah, they'll probably throw me in jail first. _Although the boy didn't want to give up so easily, what choice did he have? No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outpace a police car. He sat down on the curb and allowed a wave of dread and hopelessness washed over him.

"I didn't expect you to give up so easily," said a voice behind him. "I always imagine myself going down swinging"

Jack spun around in surprise and saw the man he'd bumped into back at the supermarket. Jack didn't know that he was there at all and his sudden appearance nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Come," the man offered a hand. The boy just stared at it dumbfound. "You don't want to be caught by the police, right?"

Jack looked at him, and then back at the red glow of police cars that were coming closer and closer. He accepted the hand and felt a tremendous force pulling him up to his feet. "Who are you?" Jack asked the man.

"Lets make ourselves disappear first," was the response.

The gentleman guided Jack pass a couple of houses and into a small alley he'd never knew existed. Jack walked a few paces before repeating his question.

"I am you," The man answered and kept walking. Jack had no choice but to follow him. "Or rather, you are me." he shook his head. "No, no, that's not right. How about this: You are another version of me from the future."

The man saw the confuse look on the boy's face and continued. "I know it's hard to believe at first. Trust me, I was pretty freaked out myself but I've gotten used to it." He stopped in front of an iron door. After three knocks a woman opened it. She had a rather striking face that was as smooth as it was fierce. Her hair was tied up ancient China style with two large hairpins holding it in place, and her pink robe seemed to be made of expensive silk that's hard to come by. Jack was immediately mesmerized by her beauty. The man greeted the woman with a formal nod and then gestured for Jack to go in.

"Hold on," Jack cried, finally coming to his senses. "Why should I go in there with you. Are you freaking insane. I'm mean, thank you for saving me and everything but I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Well," the man sighed. "Should've known that this won't be so easy. How about I knock him out? Saves a lot of trouble this way."

"Don't be so rude," The woman said. Her voice was sweet but has a sour edge to it. "You should at least give him a little bit of consolation first." she then turned to Jack. "Jacques Gray, you want to go to Nuvema Town in Unova don't you?"

"What?!" Jack was stunned. How did this woman know about what he had found back at the archive? Sure he was kind of excited about the whole thing years ago but after searching through library computers and maps, he had given up hope for the Incognito. He looked from the man to the woman. What the hell was going on?! Maybe this was some bad dream and his consciousness was stirring up nostalgic memories.

"Why don't you come in so we can talk this out?" she smiled. Jack found his legs moving his body willingly into the room. The man closed the door behind them, shutting the last rays of light out.

Inside, there was nothing but darkness. As the Jack's eyes adjusted, he saw only the walls, ceiling, and floor. The whole room was vacant. Suddenly a brilliant flash of light illuminated the room and the boy saw something he couldn't quite make out. The space at the center of the room seems to be torn apart like a tiger ripping the flesh out of its prey. A swirling, endless void replaced the normal air within the tear.

A man with black shades stepped out from behind the portal. He had an eccentric pink hair hairdo tied back into a ponytail and a completely white three-piece suit. Out of the three strangers, he had the most outlandish appearance.

"Everything is ready," The man with the pink hair said. He had an rather high pitched voice. "I see that you have brought the boy."

"Here," said the lady with the Chinese styled hair. She held out a brand new version of the backpack Jack had dropped during his getaway as if it had been in her hands this whole time. "Everything you need for your journey is here in this backpack."

Jack took back his old - now new - backpack and weight it in his hands. The rattling of his stolen goods were gone but that didn't made it less heavier.

"Thank you," he muttered. If this is some crazy dream, he mind as well play along with it.

"Now listen," the young man who had led him here placed a hand on his shoulder, the same way a father would do to his son. "When you appear on the other side, everything will be staged and ready. Just think of it as another shoplift. Blend in with the crowd and you'll be fine. I know this is hard to process in such a small amount of time but this isn't a dream. If asked about your identity, lie. I understand you've done an outstanding job on the subject of trickery and deceit in the past six years. Remember, you may not know so much about this new world but try to blend in."

The man looked up as if he was trying to remember everything he needed to tell the youngster before he departed.

"…Oh, yeah. Try not to freak out when you see a Pokémon."

"Oh, last thing," Jack turned until he stood face to face with the mysterious stranger and tried to look into his eyes. Then he blinked and stepped back like he was hit by a force field. The man's eyes were icy blue as if he could shoot icicles at everyone he looks at. The man was unbeknownst to the incident so Jack recovered quickly from the shock and continued. "Why do I need to go to this world?"

The stranger sighed and said. "Because that world is in desperate need of a hero. The boundaries between truth and ideals had became unstable. You need to go balance it out. I don't have time to explain everything to you now. You will find out yourself on your journey."

Jack opened his mouth but before a stream of questions can flush out, the man gave him and immense shove and Jack felt himself free falling into the unknown.

* * *

**The next chapter will be up soon, I hope. I've been pondering a lot about the last scene and how Jack would be introduced into the Pokemon World. Finally, I've decided that I had been thinking too much and shouldn't try to reason with everything. So if this chapter didn't make any sense to you, blame my stupid brain.**

**PLEASE review!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Starting Line

**Okay, I'm back. I should be able to update more frequently by March…wait! Scratch that shit. I have honors placement exams next month. Fuck this! Oh well, I need time to study, so maybe April will be a good time to start updating more. There is the finals in May. AGGG! Surprisingly, I still haven't torn my hair out…yet. This puts me in a bad mood.**

**Well anyways that was the current update on my life. In the last chapter, Jacques got sucked into a portal. O.O**

**Jack: Bro, maybe people will like your story more if you made more sense.**

**Magnus: It made perfect sense that will be explained later in the story.**

**Jack: Then it must be the grammar. Your English teacher even commented on your careless writing skills.**

**Magnus: I wouldn't be the one to judge because your education ended at age ten (that burn).**

**Jack: Fine, then explain to me how I don't smell like crap, and my clothes aren't in rags by the time I've arrived at Unova.**

**Magnus: I accept that challenge! *takes a deep breath* You steal clothes from deparment stores and take showers at public pools. DUGH! No time for chitchat. Let's get on with the story.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

****Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story**.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Two: The Starting Line

**GRAY O.O**

Jack felt as if a five hundred pound dumbbell was being pressed against his head.

He didn't know why but the painful throbbing made him felt nauseated. A cartoonist might draw stars and planets rotating above his head. He was vaguely aware that his whole body seemed to be lying on a small dirt road.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" a voice exclaimed. Jack opened his eyes and saw a girl about his age with short blonde hair and bright green eyes standing over him. Besides her was a boy with horn rimmed glasses and a haughty expression. "I totally wasn't looking at where I was going and then you like just appeared out of nowhere and I…"

"…was too absorb with herself to watch where she was going," the boy with the glasses finished.

The girl's face immediately flushed red and her entire body jerked violently towards the boy.

"Oh shut up Cheren!" she yelled. "We can live without you stupid face sneering at everyone for a day."

"And we sure won't miss your pesky little squeals Bianca," Cheren shot back.

"Ugh!" Bianca's face was now in full tomato mode. "You narcissistic leech!"

"Self-spoiled brat!"

"Egotistic jerk!"

"Idiotic nincompoop!"

"Repulsive little devil!"

"Syphilitic donkey!"

It was at this point that Jack felt a bit awkward. One reasonable explanation for this encounter was that he had fell asleep on the streets and had woke up feeling extremely groggy. He walked around aimlessly and accidentally bumped into two kids who should be separated to different sides of the globe. But no matter what explanation he tried come up with, his brain would always be directed back to the strange people, the portal, and something about Pokémon. Finally he noticed a box lying besides his feet.

"Is this yours?" Jack asked, pointing at the box.

The couple suddenly stopped their bickering and stared at him as if they'd just realized that he was there.

"Oh yeah sorry," Bianca said blushing. "Well, technically its yours too if you want to, you know, take it to Emma."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're Jacques, aren't you?" Cheren said matter-of-factly.

"You can call me Jack…but wait a minute," the boy squinted at each one of them, trying to remember if he had known them from somewhere. "How did you know my name?"

"It says so right here," Bianca said, picking up the box. She grabbed hold of a piece of note taped to the side and began reading. "Dear Emma, Bianca, Cheren, and Jacques. Congratulations! You have finally become of age and are now official trainers of Nuvema Town, Unova. Come back to my lab after all four of you looked at your own Pokémon. They're fresh off a batch of new eggs so you guys will have to take special care of them. I hope you have a great time on your journey. It will be a wonderful chance for you to meet new people and Pokémon. Hurry, adventure awaits! Sincerely yours, Professor Juniper."

Jack didn't know if it was the bump or something else but his felt awfully lightheaded. Everything was just too much to process. Random words and sounds bounced around freely in his head, making absolutely no sense. Before he knew it, he blacked out.

**WHITE -.-**

Emma had waited long enough.

She had wanted to be a professional trainer ever since she was just a little girl, and now the wait was over. Today she would be proudly marching out of town and into the unknown. Oh yeah, she would also be getting her very own Pokémon too!

Emma flopped down onto the couch and tapped her feet impatiently. What the hell was taking Bianca and Cheren so long?

Finally she heard a knock on the door. She jumped up with glee and rushed over with a huge grin on her face. Her hands and feet quickly brushed furniture and books aside as she half-ran, half-skipped to the front door.

"What took you so...?" She paused when she realized that the person standing behind the door was not her friends but rather her housekeeper/babysitter Elesis.

"Well, hello to you too, Emma," Elesis smiled.

Emma was about to sigh in frustration and turn back when she spotted her friends walking across the street…along with a boy about her age clutching the back of his head in pain. She waved to them with excitement. Bianca saw her and waved back with equal enthusiasm, but Cheren glared at her and she quickly looked down in shame. It was extremely normal for Bianca and Cheren give one another nasty looks, but this time Bianca seemed to be accepting her punishment. Uh oh. Something was definitely wrong. As they got closer, Emma noticed that the boy's clothes were rather expensive. He was wearing one of those brands you would see in stores but were too expensive for you to afford. His backpack also looked brand new.

_Strange_, Emma thought._ I've never seen him around before_. She shook her head in confusion. _Cheren and Bianca has a lot of explaining to do_.

"Hey Emma," Cheren said. "Sorry that we are running a bit late, but we've run into some inconveniences."

At the last part he glared at Bianca, who once again shifted uncomfortably.

"What's going on?" Emma asked. She took a quick glance at the newcomer. "And who the hell is he?"

"I don't know," Cheren shrugged. "I think he is new in town. Professor Juniper said that he is supposed to become a new trainer, just like us. Bianca bumped into him while we were walking here. Since she wasn't looking at where she was going, she ran right over him. He was fine at first but then he fainted. I think it was due to the trauma he had received from Bianca when they collided."

"Well you better bring him in," Emma said. "I tell Elesis to give him an icepack. But at the mean time I want you two to stop arguing every single minute of every day."

Cheren looked unpleased with Bianca's lack of punishment but obediently followed her inside. Soon Jack was the only one standing at the other side of the door.

"Come on in," Emma said gesturing for him to go in. "We're not going to kill you or anything."

The boy stared, but not directly at her. He seems to be looking at the space besides her. Eventually he took a hesitant step inside. Emma noticed that his legs are still wobbly like he was about to collapse again.

"Make yourself at home," she said. "I will tell Elesis to get you an icepack."

When she came back with the item the boy was already sitting on her couch.

"What's your name?" She asked while handing him the ice pack.

"Jack," he replied as he placed the cold material behind his head. He looked at her nervously as if she was holding a knife.

"Are you new here?"

Jack looked around with wide eyes. There was a minute of uncomfortable silence as they waited for his response. It seems as if an internal war was ragging inside his head. Finally he murmured a simple "yes."

Fortunately, Elesis swooped in to save them from this gauche conversation. She came out of the kitchen and handed everyone a cupcake decorated with a pokéball shaped frosting on top.

"Emma didn't tell me there will be three guests today," She looked accusingly at her. "But luckily I made extras just in case."

She promptly left the room, and the atmosphere returned to its original awkwardness.

"So, where are you from?" Emma asked, determined to squeeze something out of the silent boy.

"Los Angles," Jack answered.

"Is that some new region because I've never heard about it before?" Cheren said.

Jack's mouth twitched like he was about to say something. He then glance around the room and decided against it. Instead he said, "It's far, _very _far from here. On the other side of the globe, I think."

Cheren nodded, but he still looked a bit cynical. On the other hand, Jack sigh in relief as his tense shoulders lowered a little. His wide, frighten eyes seemed to drop down to a more relaxed angle. Contrary to his earlier edginess, his face wore a calm expression.

"My parents moved here recently to do some business errands," he continued. "You guys probably haven't seen me around because...because we've just finished unpacking."

"Oh that's nice," Emma smiled. She was glad that the new arrival was opening up a bit. Trainers from the same town were expected to travel together in their first year and she didn't want their future conversations to be clouded with anymore moments like these.

"Lets skip the chit-chat," Bianca urged. "I want to see what starters Professor Juniper got for us."

So, the four-some crowed around the box. After Bianca recited the note to Emma, everyone was ready. Emma looked at Bianca, and Bianca looked at Cheren. They stared intensely at the box, their breathing harsh and tense. No one was brave enough to lift the lid.

"Come on guys," Jack said. He frowned at each of their expressions. "Just open it."

"It's not that easy," Cheren said in a near-whisper. "Once we open the box, our lives will never be the same."

"Yeah, yeah" Jack rolled his eyes. "Been there done that. What's inside the box anyways?"

By the stunned looks on each of their faces, Jack knew he had said the wrong thing.

"What's in there?!" Cheren shouted after he got over his shock. "Pokémon of course! We are about to become the new trainers of Unova and you don't know what's in here?! Did Bianca kill half of your brain cells or something?"

Jack took a step back. "Of…of course I knew what a Pokémon is," he lied quickly. "Um…the place I used to live, they don't have a lot of Pokémon there. I don't see them around much cause I live in the city."

"Oh we understand," Emma said with sympathy. "There are rarely any Pokémon hanging around big cities because of pollution. They like to live in small suburban areas and forests. But we will be able to see a lot of them on our journey. And as a Pokémon trainer, it's our job to train the Pokémon we've captured. I don't know about your region, but here in Unova, it's traditional for all adolescence to start their career as trainers and then slowly work into other jobs or stay as trainers. My dream is to become the new CHAMPION OF UNOVA!"

Bianca and Cheren both smiled at her speech. It was clear that they also had the same idea.

"From my experience results are usually…different…than what you've hoped for."

Before anyone could object, Jack reached down and lifted the cover off the box. Bianca let out a small squeal, and Emma knew that she was about to do the same thing too. She braved a peek at the items inside the box. Carefully placed between a pile of fake grasses were four red and white spheres. Emma felt like she was walking in heaven - it was everything she'd hope for. Both Bianca and Cheren also had a dreamy look on their faces. Jack, on the other hand, looked rather vexed.

"I don't get it," he said, taking a closer inspection of the objects. "They are just balls."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Not just BALLS! They are pokéballs. They provide a safe sanctuary for Pokémon to live and heal in when they aren't needed for battle."

"Yeah sure," Jack nodded. "What on earth was I thinking."

Emma looked at him. He seems like a nice, easy-going guy but something was off about him. She understood that each region had their own traditions and technological advances but seriously! This guy doesn't seem to even know what Pokémon are. He was definitely hiding something and Emma could tell that Cheren had the same suspicion. But Emma was not the kind of person who pried in other people's businesses so she dismissed the thought completely.

"Oh look!" Bianca pointed. "Each one of those are labeled with our names. How awesome!"

Indeed, in front of each pokéball were cards labeled with each of their names. It wasn't long before Bianca reached in and grabbed her pokéball out from the pile. She seems to be the catalyst in their decisions, for everyone grab a hold of their own soon after. They held the round object towards the light, admiring every single details of the sphere. Emma pressed the button located between the boundaries of the red and white colors, and the others followed the suit. Suddenly a blinding flash of light escaped from the pokéball. Emma was unprepared for this and almost dropped device.

When she finally got her senses back, she looked down and saw a small, sea otter-like Pokémon standing beside her feet. It had a spherical white head with small, triangular dark-blue ears on the sides. It looked so cute that all Emma wanted to do was kneel down and pet it.

Emma looked around and saw Bianca picking up an orange, pig-like Pokémon, and Cheren squatting down to take a closer look at green, reptilian Pokémon with a slender build. They all seemed content with their new companions.

"Woah," Jack muttered. Emma glanced over and saw the boy standing before a Pokémon with what seemed to be a helmet on his head and steels spikes sticking from all over its body. "This surpassed my expectation."

"Let's see," Cheren said, taking a look at everyone's Pokémon. I have Snivy, a grass type Pokémon; Bianca has Tepig, a fire type Pokémon; Emma has Oshawott, a water type; and finally Jack has Pawniard, a dark/steel type."

"We should see what moves our Pokémon currently knows," Emma suggested. She then turn towards Cheren. "If you are such an expert will you mind telling me what gender is my Oshawott and what moves it knows."

"It says so behind the card," Cheren said wryly.

Emma's sneered in annoyance and picked up her card. In her mind she wished for her Oshawott to be female but chances are that all the starter Pokémon are male. Then again, it didn't matter that much. She would love her Pokémon either way. In one swift motion she flipped her card up, revealing a symbol denoted to the planet Venus. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hey guys!" Bianca exclaimed, changing the topic completely "What is the use of having Pokémon if we can't battle with them? Oh, this will be so fun. Since there are four of us, we can have a Double Battle! We can use the Emma's room upstairs."

"Just hold on a moment," Cheren injected. He always seemed to find ways to turn down Bianca's ideas. "We can't have a fight in here. Didn't you learn your lesson last time when you decided it will also be a good idea to play catch in the kitchen because it was raining."

Oh yeah, Emma remembered it alright. The black burn marks on the drapes were still there. Don't ask how that happened. Still Emma refused to let Cheren spoil such an exciting day.

"I'm all game," Emma said, earning a scowl from Cheren. "You don't have to worry, pussy pants. Our Pokémon only knows a few moves that are hardly going to do any damage to the house besides a few scraped walls. Besides, nobody will go in my room once I'm gone."

Emma gave Cheren look so intense that the boy had no choice but to comply. Luckily, Jack wanted to go too so the odds were weighted against Cheren anyways.

Once the four trainers relocated to the Emma's room, they divided into two teams. It was the old fashion boys vs. girls. They cleared away chairs and clothes and summoned their Pokémon. Since Cheren had read numerous books about Pokémon, he explained the rules and set the stage.

"Alright you guys can summon your Pokémon now," Cheren announced and threw the pokéball up gracefully. The others struggled with theirs but eventually all four Pokémon were ready for battle.

"I'll start," Bianca smiled. "Tepig, use Tackle on Snivy!"

"Snivy, dodge and use Vine Whip!" Cheren commanded.

The small pig-like Pokémon leapt into action and sprang across the stage towards Cheren's Pokémon. Unfortunately, Snivy leapt into the air and dodged the incoming attack. While in midair, Snivy's tail extended into a long green whip which lashed down at Tepig. The fire type couldn't react in time and was captured by the vine. Now, Cheren's Pokémon held Bianca's prisoner with his tail while the rest of the party stood dumbfound at the results.

"Wow, I never knew Pokémon were that powerful!" Jack exclaimed.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Bianca said, calming down. "Tepig, use Ember on the whip."

With a strangled breath, the pig-like Pokémon managed to spit two tiny embers in to the whip. The grass type quickly retracted its tail before it was scorched too badly. Emma, seeing an opening, called to her Oshawott.

"Oshawott use Water Gun on that Pawniard!" She ordered.

A jet of icy cold water sprang from Oshawott's mouth and straight towards the stunned Pawniard. The dark/steel type was blasted to the back of the room.

"Come on man," Cheren urged, "Snap out of it and attack back."

"Alight," Jack replied nervously. "Um…Pawniard use Fury Cutter on Oshawott."

"Oshawott dodge behind him and use Tackle," Emma said. She was a natural at this. "Slam him to the wall and use water gun."

Oshawott did a flip to avoid Pawniard's Fury Cutter. Since the dark/steel type was too busy with his own attack, he didn't recover in time to dodge the water type's Tackle. Oshawott used all her strength and slammed Pawniard against the wall. Then she released one last Water Gun and knocked him unconscious. The battle scale has tipped in favor of Emma's team.

Pretty soon, Oshawott was able to corner Snivy while Tepig doused him in flame. That was pretty much the whole battle.

"That's not fair!" Cheren protested. "My partner was lags."

"I'm sorry Cheren," Jack said looking down. "This is my first battle."

"Don't fuss over it," Emma placated Jack while shooting a glare at Cheren. The boy with the glasses raised up his hands in confusion. _What did I do wrong?_ He mouthed silently. Emma ignored him and continued. "It's our first battle too, although we did watch matches every day after school. You'll get better."

"GITGUD," Bianca tease which earned her a cold glare too.

"Let's go to Professor Juniper's lab and receive our Pokédex," Emma said, changing the subject. "I'm sure she still has some tips to give us before we go."

"Yeah, and we should also apologize to your mom downstairs," Jack suggested. "We kind of messed up your room pretty badly."

It was as if the world had suddenly stopped spinning. Everybody, even Bianca, stood still. Bianca and Cheren looked at Jack in horrified disbelief. Emma could feel her face growing hot. It took all her efforts not to straggle the new kid with her bare hands. She took a deep breath and reason with herself. _It's okay,_ She thought calmly._ He didn't mean to say that because he doesn't know_. And that was the thought she kept on replaying over her head like a CD as she forced a small smile upon her face. But since her friends still looked at her as if she was an untamed beast, she guessed her attempt didn't work so well.

"It's okay he doesn't know," She said, although it seemed to be more to herself. "The woman downstairs is not my mother but rather my housekeeper. My mother…I rather not talk about her right now."

She stopped and exited her bedroom without another word, her face still burning hot. Behind her, she could hear Bianca whisper to the vexed boy: "Emma doesn't have a good relationship with her mother."

Professor Juniper's lab was an institution surrounded by luscious green lawns and a beautiful view of the mountains. The main building was painted in bright colors and covered with stainless windows. Just looking at the lab made Emma feel so much better about her current predicament. So what if her mother didn't care about her? So what if she valued work over her own daughter? So what if dad… Emma stopped herself before she went too far. There were feelings and emotions so dark and deep that even she was afraid to confront them. But either way, today was a happy day. No troublesome atrocities shall cloud her joy because today is the day she can finally peruse her dream of becoming the Unova League Champion.

The foursome was welcomed by a cool rush of air conditioning as they entered the lab. They were greeted by Professor Juniper who sat behind her desk holding a book. She placed it aside and hurried over with four small devices in her hands.

"Hi there!" Professor Juniper exclaimed. The rest of the party returned greeting. "I've been waiting for you young people."

"Me too!" Bianca squealed. "I've been waiting for this day my whole freaking life!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here Bianca," Professor Juniper winked. She held out the four devices. "First things first. These are -"

"Pokédexes," Cheren interrupted. Bianca rolled her eyes. "They are used to record Pokémon we'd encountered, right?"

"I am astonished," Professor Juniper said. "Nice work, Cheren! You have already studied Pokémon extensively, haven't you? Still, let me explain everything from the beginning, for everyone's sake. The Pokédex is a high-tech device that automatically records the Pokémon you encounter! So, I want you four to visit many places and meet all of the Pokémon in the Unova region! This is my request: You'll go on an adventure to complete the Pokédex, will you not?"

"Of course, professor," Emma replied. "It will be an honor."

"Thank you Emma," The professor smiled. "Funny thing. I've almost forgot to pack a Pokédex and a Pokémon for Jack. How silly of me. It must be my age catching up. Anyways, I had a weird dream last night where this woman appeared in front of me telling me to prepare an extra set of items for you. I thought it was strange when I woke up so I went to check Nuvema town's records. You and your family's names were there. I must've forgotten about you, for you have just arrived recently."

"Would that woman happen to be garbed in a pink robe and have an eccentric hairstyle?" Jack inquired.

Professor Juniper's face was an expression of shock. "Y-yes! How did you know?"

"Oh just a lucky guess…" Jack murmured, deep in his own thoughts.

"Um... So anyways, you guys should head back and say goodbye to your parents or guardians. And then…well that is pretty much it. You probably won't comeback anytime soon so I hope you've packed well. Oh! One last thing."

She scrambled to her desk and withdrew a couple of laminated cards and empty pokéballs. "These are your trainer's licenses. They are very important to have because you can use these to get free rooms at Pokémon Centers. They will also need to see these in order to heal your Pokémon so don't lose them. I will give each of you five pokéballs to start with. You can buy more later on. That is about it. If you have any questions feel free to contact me through the Pokédex so don't lose those either. Good bye guys. Have fun on your journey and hopefully one of you might become the next Champion of Unova!"

The four new trainers wave goodbye to the professor and headed out. Cheren went back home to say goodbye to his parents and Emma also went back to say her farewells to Elesis. She took about three steps until she realized that Jack and Bianca were following her.

"Don't you two want to say goodbye to your parent?" She asked.

"Nay," They both replied in unison.

"I rather not go home right now," Bianca explained. "I just barely convinced my dad to let me go on this journey anyways, so I don't want to take my chances."

"Yeah," Jack joined in. "I don't really need to either. They are fine with it and I just don't want to walk all the way."

"Suit yourself," Emma shrugged. "We will be doing a lot more walking later on so you better get used to it now."

When they got to her house, Emma kindly asked Jack and Bianca to wait outside. She didn't want them interfering with her family matters. She stopped by the kitchen and hugged her babysitter. In return, Elesis promised to take good care of the house and Mrs. White. Emma tried to make their farewell last as long as possible, for she feared what would come next.

As she stood outside her mother's bedroom door, Emma couldn't help but feel nervous. How long had it been since they've last spoken. A week? A month? A year? She held her breath as she knock on the door once. The vibrations shook her from head to toe.

"Who is it?" A female voice replied.

"It's Emma," She paused before adding with spite. "Your daughter."

"I'm too busy to play tea party with you," Her mother sounded annoyed at the intrusion. "I need to file these papers before the meeting tomorrow."

"No mother…I've come to say goodbye. I'm going on my journey now to become a Pokémon trainer."

"Yeah, yeah bye. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do."

Emma stood outside her mother's bedroom door in silence. She resisted the urge to storm in there and demand her mother's attention. Tears she had been holding back swelled in her eyes. She blinked and droplets fell, scarring her face. Emma bit her lips in shame. _I can't cry, not now, _she thought. The depressed teenager wiped her tears with her left shirt sleeve and stood there until she was calm enough to walk down stairs. She passed a worry-looking Elesis in the living room and dropped her house keys on the coffee table. _I will never come back here ever again. _

Outside she forked a smile at her friends and said "let's go" before walking away from her home once again.

After everyone said their goodbyes (well just Emma and Cheren), they met at the edge of town. In front of them lied Route 1 - the first route in their adventure. It seemed like a part of the world that had been forbidden to them in the past has finally been accessible now. Bianca took a step forward and drew a line on the grass with her sneakers.

"This is the starting line," Bianca whispered. Emma had never heard Bianca sound so serious in her entire life. "This is the starting point - a clumsy little line that we will treasure forever. This line represents the boundaries of a whole different world - a world that we will soon step into. Isn't that an amazing thing…"

Everyone - even Cheren - nodded in agreement. Emma had always rejected change, but now she couldn't wait for it to happen.

"Hey since this marks the end and beginning of an era," Bianca said smiling, back to her old self again. "We should make this moment special. I say we take our first step into Route 1 together."

Everyone complied without argument. They joined hands. Emma felt a bit self-conscious because she was holding Jack's hand but then again it couldn't be more awkward than Cheren holding Bianca's hand. She shook herself out of those weird thoughts and focused at the scenery in front of her.

Everyone held their breaths as they took their first step into this new world and their new lives.

* * *

**PLZA PREVIEWZA**


	4. Chapter 3: A Precious Sense of Liberty

**And...its 6:00 pm! Hope you guys are finished with homework or back from basketball practice. I've been trying to decide when is the right time to post a new chapter not only for current readers but to attract new ones too. My online research shows that late Saturday morning seems to be good, but I'm too impatient. Its almost May and testing will begin shortly. T_T Can't say that I'm excited... Anyways I will have time in April to work on this, but May has way too many curfews. Can't say I'm excited about summer either because my parents are making me swim everyday and take art classes. Baseball and tennis are the only sane sports I think. Anyways, we have a special guest today!**

**Marie Curie: This life, painful from certain points of view, had, for all that, a real charm to me. It gave me a very precious sense of liberty and independence.**

**Magnus: Thank you Marie for inspiring this chapter's title. Besides not really contributing to science after your husband got ran over by a horse, you were a fine gal.**

**Emma: I don't get it. Why is she here again?**

**Magnus: The title of this chapter is copied off of her quote. Plus she is my second favorite women in history after Queen Mary of Scotland.**

**Jack: Women crushing too much again... Don't worry he was much worse off when he first started watching anime.**

**Magnus: Not my fault all anime characters are sex on a stick.**

**Jack and Emma: ...**

**My computer recently got a virus, so I needed to delete all files and reboot my computer. For some reason I accidentally downloaded Microsoft Word 2008. Eh... It's really bad. The main reason I don't update often, however, is because I'm just too lazy. Did most of this during spring break. Oh. I will also be updating the Story Status thing in my profile so you guys can keep track of my progress. Enjoy ;p**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the original content and characters of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Three: A Precious Sense of Liberty

**GRAY O.O**

_Everyone in this world seems rather…elated,_ Jacques Gray thought as he lingered behind the group of happy peppy friends. _Especially that Emma girl who is always mercurial. One minute she is calm and the next she has steam pumping out of her ears._ He glanced around Route 1. Apparently, as Cheren explained, routes were the "bridges" that separated one town from the next. You'll have to travel through these routes, which were infested with wild creatures known as Pokémon, in order to get to the next town.

Speaking of Pokémon, Jack held up the red pokéball that contained Pawniard. During the team battle in Emma's room, he'd got a closer look at the small creature. Most of its body seemed to be made of steel but it reacted and moved like any other animal. They don't appear mechanical but real living beings with intelligence. That was indeed the most curious thing Jack had discovered in this world.

The young boy shook his head in confusion. He'd played along with the charade at the beginning, but now he wasn't sure what to believe anymore. It was like he had accepted it all without much resistance. Why would he oppose this world? His old life was a mess, and now he was starting anew. Of course, occasional inquires and flashbacks reminded him that he was an alien in this universe. So then why was he here? The strangers back in his world didn't gave much of an answer. _The boundaries between truth and ideals had became unstable, _the man's cold voice rang clearly in Jack's head. _You need to go balance it out. _What did that even mean? What did he need to balance out? As far as this world goes, there was nothing wrong.

"Hey guys!" Bianca stopped suddenly. Everyone was so absorbed by the scenery and their own thoughts that no one saw it coming. It was like a chain reaction. Cheren bumped into Bianca; Emma bumped into Cheren; and Jack bumped into Emma. Consequently, everyone ended up against the dirt road. "Oops. Sorry about that."

"Sorry?" Cheren fumed. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Come on Cheren don't be such a drama queen," Bianca rolled her eyes. "I just had an idea."

"What's your idea," Emma said quickly before Cheren could fire back.

"Let's have a Pokémon catching contest," Bianca said. "Whoever catches the most Pokémon by lunch time wins."

Emma nodded with content. "That is actually not a bad idea. It will give us a head start in our journey. Plus an extra Pokémon will keep our current one's company."

"No," Cheren said, dragging the word longer than it needed to be. "The wheel was a great idea, cup of noodles was a great idea, but this one stinks."

"How so?" Bianca squinted at him.

"First of all, this route only has two Pokémon. The math would show that ninety percent of the Pokémon in Unova are way more powerful than these. I've already had my desired team in mind. Second, it is exactly an hour before noon, so we won't have much time. Third -"

"All in favor?" Emma interrupted Cheren's speech.

Bianca's hand shot up first. Jack held back a grin as he raised his hand also. The threesome's friendship seemed so systematic. Bianca comes up with some crazy idea; Cheren finds ways to object; then Emma makes the final decisions.

Cheren's face twitched with irritation. "Fine," he murmured. His face darkened amid a cloud of disappointment. Then a light bulb appears to flashed above his head. He snapped his fingers. "Got to go! Bye! I'll meet you in the next town's Pokémon Center."

Without another word, he ran off with a small cloud of dust gathering in his wake. The three looked after him, stunned. Cheren had never been so glad to lose an argument before.

"We should start before he beats us," Emma suggested after a moment. "It will be better if we split up to avoid any cheating."

"I will look around here," Bianca said. She began poking a stick through some bushes.

"I will walk a bit ahead," Emma said and ran away from them.

Jack shrugged and begun walking in an moderate pace. He had no interest in this competition. He just wanted some alone time to gather his thoughts. The teen looked around after a while and found a small grassy patch of meadow undeterred by bushes or tall grasses. He laid his bags down under the shade of a tall autumn tree and stretched. The end of this route was still not in sight, so it's better to rest a bit before walking.

He unzipped all the compartments of his backpack and browsed through them. He'd never got a chance to see what the woman gave him. Inside were all the things needed for a long term hiking trip. There were two extra sets of clothes, some jerky and energy bars, bathroom accessories, a pocket size machine he couldn't identify, ear buds, and a few extra pokéballs. Even though the devices were plentiful, Jack felt no need to go around trying to catch Pokémon. _First things first,_ he thought.

He reached inside his pocket and retrieved the Pokédex. The screen blinked opened directly after he pressed the on/off button. Jack took about five minutes to figure out how the machine works. All his years as a thief taught him the secrets behind security cameras and hacking. But there was no need for that now, for what he needed wasn't something illegal. He soon located a guide that teaches new trainers all about Pokémon. There was also another one detailing Unova's history and legends. If he was going to stay here, he mind as well learn about what the heck made this world tick.

Jack connected the ear buds to the device and hummed as a mechanical female voice entered his ears. Then he stood up, packed his things, and begun walking in the directing Emma was headed. Throughout his hike, he paid a very petite amount of attention to his surroundings. Sure, once or twice he caught a small rustle inside the conglomeration of plants but he hardly cared. He was going to lose this competition, but he planned on winning all the future ones.

Although it must've been over half an hour, it felt like ten minutes before Jack found himself at the end of Route 1. By then he probably had as much knowledge about Unova as if he grew up here. Of course he was just breaking the surface, but he felt good about what he'd learned about Pokémon, Unova's legends, Unova's geographical features, and about trainers. He was just getting started on a story about two dragons when he noticed that the dirt paved road gave away to the more cleaner features of streets. He'd arrived at Accumula Town: the next town in their journey.

Jack shut off the Pokédex and collected his ear buds as he trudged deeper into town. Accumula Town was considerably more populated than Nuvema Town. After five minutes of dodging tall adults and kids on bikes, he arrived at the Pokémon Center. It's red roofs were hard to miss. He stopped before entering through the glass panel doors._ LOL_, he thought amusingly. _I don't have any Pokémon that needed healing._

He was greeted by a bright young woman with pink hair called Nurse Joy. She asked him if he had any injured Pokémon and he said no. During his walk, Jack learned that there were a few dozen of these young ladies working in Pokémon Centers all over the world. The Pokédex had yet to explain more about them, but apparently they were all called "Nurse Joy." There's an entire system of training for girls dedicated to treating injured Pokémon and running a small free motel for traveling trainers.

Jack sat down and ordered himself a sandwich and Pepsi. All he needed to do was flash his trainer ID and all was free. _I wish it could be like that in my world_, he thought_. It would save a lot of sneaking around._ Since the group promised to meet in the Pokémon Center, Jack saved a few seats for them. He was hardly surprise to find that he was the one in the group to reach Accumula Town first. The young boy ate his sandwich while listening to the legend about the two dragons. The Pokédex had taught him many Pokémon battle tactics, tactics that will guarantee victory in his next battle.

**WHITE -.-**

The heat was unbearable.

With the addition of drowsiness clouding over her head, Emma White was literally a walking corpse. By now, she was regretting her lack of sleep last night.

It had been thirty minutes since her separation from the party, and she missed the warm and joyful company her friends offered. So far she'd caught zero wild Pokémon from Route 1. They just kept hiding! From what she had seen in television, Pokémon just seems to jump out of nowhere and demand a battle every few minutes. In her mind it was like a grand buffet. Instead, Pokémon hunting was like finding a needle in a haystack. This whole time she was moving ever so closer to Accumula Town, and she would surely get teased if she returned empty handed.

Luckily Oshawott seems to share the same impatience as her. The water-type kept her head high and nose sharp as she investigated every corner of the forest for any wild prey. Despite her trainer's weariness, she was determined to win this game. She perched on her partner's left shoulder eagerly.

Suddenly, the little otter-like Pokémon perked up. She immediately tugged at young girl's hair and pointed down the road. Ahead of them was a Lillipup, yapping angrily at a tree. Emma got the message and rushed over. She skittered to a stop right below the tree. The Lillipup stopped it's barking and looked at her curiously. Emma glanced up and saw a Patrat making funny faces down at the puppy and waving a red berry around. It also stopped when it saw a human approaching. This scene reminded Emma too much of how students acted when a teacher wasn't around.

"Hey there," Emma greeted nervously. She had never really talked to a wild Pokémon before. "What seems to be the matter here? Did that Patrat steal your berry?"

When the Pokémon's face remained blank, Oshawott automatically jumped down from Emma's shoulder and chattered along with the Lillipup. _Wow,_ Emma thought._ We make quite a team!_ About ten seconds later Oshawott looked and shouted angrily at the Patrat on top of the tree. This pretty much confirmed Emma's theory. The normal-type just looked down at them and continued jeering.

"Oh the nerves!" Emma growled. Bullies were the least she could tolerate. "Oshawott shoot that bastard down with Water Gun."

The water-type nodded and shot a jet of water from her mouth straight towards the dancing Patrat. The normal-type anticipated the attack and evaded it by jumping off the branch. Emma's pupils followed the drop as it plunge straight towards…Lillipup!

"No!" Emma exclaimed in shock as the rodent gave the puppy a back-flipped kick and landed gracefully on the dirt. It gave them a satisfying chuckle as it dashed away into the bushes.

Emma instantly ran over to the fallen Lillipup. She inspected it and concluded that the kick must've twisted the poor dear's right back leg, for it could hardly stand upright. The trainer wavered. She didn't really know any medical procedures that she could give to the injured Pokémon. Nurse Joy would need to look at its leg. She wanted to chase after the Patrat but the Lillipup deserved more of her attention.

"Why don't you rest in here until I can get you to a Pokémon Center," She held out an empty pokéball but hesitated. Who was she to decide whether to capture this Pokémon or not? If she did, she would strip it from its freedom. Emma had never thought about that until now. But that Lillipup needed serious medical attention! Of course one way to find out the truth was by asking...

"Would you like to join me on my journey?" Emma asked nervously. "I know it's strange to ask but I don't want to hold you against your free will."

The Lillipup looked up at her. Even though it couldn't understand a word she'd said, it knew her implications when it saw the red and white device in her hands. It jump up happily but was soon interrupted by the pain in its ankles.

"Thank you," Emma clicked on the button and watched as a red light absorbed the tiny creature inside. "I promise I'll take good care of you."

For the rest of her hike, Emma focused on getting to Accumula Town as fast as possible. When she reached the town line, it was already noon. She looked around at the stream of strangers going out for lunch or taking a break from work. Back in Nuvema Town, everybody just knew each other. Rarely were there anyone from out of town. Now, each face was new and unrecognizable.

Along the way she met up with Bianca and Cheren, who were stand near the entrance waiting for her. Cheren's smug expression hardly surprised Emma.

"Is Jack here yet?" Emma asked.

"You mean he wasn't with you?" Bianca looked concerned. "He should be here by now but we haven't seen him passed the entrance, yet."

"Maybe he's just running late," Cheren said. "We should go to the Pokémon Center. The sun is going to give me cancer."

"Are you sure?" Bianca asked. "He doesn't seem to know his way around much."

"Cut him some slack," Emma waved her hand dismissively. Normally she would've left no man behind, but there was something more important to attend to. "He's not stupid. Besides, I need to heal my new Pokémon."

"Oh yes," Cheren said innocently. "I need to heal my Pokémon too."

Both girls looked at him oddly. Emma wanted to give the boy a well deserved bitch slap but figured that boasting wasn't really against the rules. Instead she just stuck her tongue out at him, which earned a giggle from Bianca. Cheren pretended that he didn't notice and walked towards the Pokémon Center.

They entered the building, and a cool gush of air welcomed their presence. The entire Pokémon center was like an oversize lounge. There were trainers everywhere relaxing on couches, playing with their Pokémon, and chatting with their peers. A Nurse Joy accepted Lillipup's pokéball and went behind the counter to the healing area. While waiting, Emma scrutinized everyone in the lounge and found one quiet boy sitting in the corner. His Pawniard was eating and jesting around with other Pokémon at the next table. Emma signaled to the rest of the group, and they walked over together.

"We didn't expect to see you here so soon," Emma said. At close range she saw that he was listening to something from the Pokédex. "We thought you've tardy or something."

"What…huh," The boy looked up in surprised, and his ear buds fell off. After a second, his tension eased. "Oh it's you guys. So, how did the competition go?" He gathered his things while talking. Pawniard also came over to join in on their conversation.

"We haven't gotten into the scoring yet," Cheren explained. "Since you're here so early, I assumed you've caught a lot."

"No," Jack replied. He didn't seemed at all disturbed by his failure. "I got here about half an hour ago but that's probably because I just walked straight here."

"So you didn't catch anything?" Bianca's eyes widened.

"I didn't feel like it," the boy yawned. "I've got something that I have to take care of so I didn't really have time."

For some reason, Jack's nonchalant way of taking this contest was starting to make Emma feel insignificant about her own accomplishments. She could tell that Cheren was also beginning to feel the same way. Putting herself in his shoes felt nearly impossible to her. Did he honestly not care?

"Whatever," Cheren murmured, annoyed. The Nurse Joy had brought back Lillipup's pokéball. "You have been disqualified. Now on the count of three I want you all to summon your new captured Pokémon, so we should decide who the winner is. Which is clearly going to be me of course."

Emma rolled her eyes on the last comment. After the count of three, the trainers summoned their own Pokémon. Emma could see that Bianca had also caught a Lillipup, and Cheren…caught some weird feline thing with dark fur and a pair of attractive eyes.

"Hold on!" Bianca exclaimed. "Purrloin can't be found in Route 1. You're cheating!"

"The rules never said anything about that," Cheren replied. Then it click to Emma that that was the reason why Cheren took off running. He wants to get to the next route so he can catch his dream Pokémon. That sneaky rodent! "It looks like we all caught one Pokémon," the boy with the glasses continued. "I'll go first. This is a female Purrloin. She is a dark type Pokémon currently capable of the moves Scratch, Growl, and Assist."

"Um… I have a female Lillipup," Bianca began. "She is a normal type capable of Leer, Tackle, and Odor Sleuth."

"Wait," Emma said. It snapped to Emma that she forgot to check her Pokémon's status. After a few seconds of fumbling with her Pokédex, she found what she needed. "Okay! My Lillipup is a male. As Bianca stated, he is a normal type capable of the same moves."

"Alright it settles then," Cheren said. "I'm the winner."

"Wait what?" Bianca squealed. "That's not how it works."

"Pardon me Madame," the boy with the glasses said in a rather unpleasant voice. "I would rather not waste my time listening to your folksy tale of how it was back in the old days. It is clear that my Pokémon is more unique and certainly more elegant than those pups."

"I think not!" Emma fumed. "The contest clearly stated that it is how much Pokémon we manage to catch, not how 'elegant' it is."

"So you're declaring a tie?" Cheren asked, outraged.

"Oh no! Maybe you should be disqualified for being a huge jerk."

"You guys are lame."

"Don't call us lame!" Bianca joined in. "You're always the party-pooper."

"Great," Cheren rolled his eyes. "So this is now my fault?"

"Yes!" the two girls replied in unison.

"Hold on," Jack asserted. "Why is everyone leaving?"

The threesome looked at him. In the back of her mind, Emma suddenly felt self-conscious of their argument. In the past, she was the one who always broke up the fights. This new guy seemed to be taking her role.

Strangely, the mass of people leaving the Pokémon Center wasn't due to their bickering. Instead, their attention seemed to be directed outside. Through the glass panel doors, Emma could barely make out the figures of various men dressed in some sort of medieval clothing among the mass of people gathered outside. What caught Emma's attention the most was not the knights but rather the tall man grabbed in an eccentric robe. He was clearly the center of attention for everyone centered around him. The four friends looked at each other and followed the crowd out the door.

**BLACK ^.^**

They had been spreading the news.

A few days after N'd succeeded the throne Ghetsis assembled a dozen of his followers for their journey all over Unova. They walked from town to town, holding assemblies and speeches where trainers are gathered most. Team Plasma had never been so active before. N was told that his new reign ignited a spark in every follower's heart. He was the catalyst of Team Plasma's grand scheme.

Today, the party stopped in Accumula Town. N stayed back and watch in awe as a crowd gathered around his godfather. Ghetsis was a gifted speaker, no doubt about that. Nobody N knew can match his tone and persuasion. The main lesson the boy had learned from his godfather was that words are powerful. They have the ability to bend and break wills, lead others, and create whole new universes.

"My name is Ghetsis," the man begun. "I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation."

N briefly took note of the crowd's reaction. At first, they were barely aware of the man standing among them. But then everything changed. When the first words started to pour out of Ghetsis's mouth, the crowd turned around in surprise. It was as if they suddenly regain the sense of hearing again. The conglomeration of people, trainers, and civilians alike, stood mesmerized at Ghetsis's speech. They took in every word like insects swarming over honey. Even N had to admit that he too was taken in to his godfather's speech.

"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other," Ghetsis continued when he was satisfied with the attention. "However... is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans only assume that this is the truth. Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers. They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work. Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

There was a small pause before the crowd could applause. _They wanted more_, N thought. _As do I_. Ghetsis surveyed the crowd behind the lenses of his red eye piece. His soul-seeking eyes never lingered more than a second on one spot. But then he stopped. The man's hand was shaking and his breathing became rigid. He wasn't looking at N but someone else particular. The curious boy followed his godfather's gaze, trying to pinpoint the cause of his anxiety. It was like finding a needle in a haystack with all these people, but N quickly located the object, or rather person, that gave Ghetsis such alarm. She was just a girl in her late adolescence years with a valiant brush of dark brown hair and a rather confident attire. N looked back at Ghetsis and found that he had already recovered. The man turned back to his guards and together they exited the platform.

Once the attraction left, everyone else dispersed. Ghetsis's speech gave them a lot to think about. N could hear friends muttering to friends, mother talking to son. They sure stirred up a lot of confusion in town.

N glance around town square. Besides a few wandering bystanders, no one was around except for N. Then, the young boy spotted the same girl with the dark brown hair again. Her pose marked her as one of the assertive types - someone who never gave up and took responsibilities for her actions. Those character traits were no reason to give Ghetsis such a fright, though. No, it was something else much deeper. The girl stared intently ahead in thought. The Lillipup in her hands licked itself patiently while his trainer pondered over the speech.

N felt slightly nervous as he walked over to her. His uneasiness was pushed backed by a miniature wind of curiosity. He never had much human interaction with strangers before, but he wanted to hear her thoughts about Pokémon liberation. Who knows? Maybe he could persuade her just as well as his godfather could.

"I can hear him speak you know," N said. It was a weird introduction but he wasn't sure what to say. The girl snapped out of her daydream and looked at him. "Hi, my name is N."

"That's an rather unusual name," the girl said. She didn't seem to mind his sudden intrusion. "My name is Emma. What do you mean when you said that you can hear him speak."

"I meant what I mean," N replied. "I have the ability to hear Pokémon speak. I think I might've inherited from my mother."

"I'm sorry," Emma blinked in confusion. "You're talking a bit too fast. Did you say that you can hear Pokémon speak?"

N nodded. "Just now he is expressing his gratitude towards you for helping him. Strange. I've never seen a Pokémon so happy before. You are a trainer too, right? You're going to confine many, many Pokémon in pokéballs for that then. I can't help wondering... Are Pokémon really happy that way?"

"What do you mean?" Emma blinked.

"You heard what the man said. We can't keep trapping Pokémon for personal game. It's cruel."

"You're not really believing all that hokum, are you?"

"Why not? He is not wrong you know."

"His ideals are his personal opinion. But the truth is that I love Pokémon. I will never let any of them come to harm."

"What about battles?"

"As far as I can tell, Pokémon enjoys battles. It's like a game to them. It also strengthens the bond between trainer and Pokémon."

"I see," N paused and considered Emma's position. Then a rather unusual idea flashed in his brain. N smiled devilishly. He was determined to stand by his position. "Maybe we can settle our differences over a battle. Since we are trainers anyways."

"Are you sure?" Emma looked puzzled. "In the middle of town?"

"Yes!," With a flick of his wrist, N summoned his Purrloin into battle. "Let me hear your Pokémon speak once more."

Just then, Emma's Lillipup leap from her arms and growled at the feline. His tail was erect and his teeth fierce. The two opponents faced each other in the middle of the road. People walking pass them often stopped to stare but most of them left. Apparently battling in town was a normal everyday activity.

"I've never heard of a Pokémon so eager to defend a human before," N said, surprised. "Nevertheless I must defeat you. Purrloin use Scratch."

"Lillipup, attack with Tackle!" Emma said.

The two Pokémon sped towards each other. The feline leap into the air and reached out her gleaming nails. She swiped at her opponent once, missed, and landed elegantly on the floor. Lillipup rushed at her just before she landed, but the Purrloin was anticipating that. At the last moment, she reached out her claws and slashed the normal type's face. Lillipup yelped and tumbled back. At the puppy's weakest moment, the dark type pounced at her prey, delivering another critical scratch.

"Oh no!" Emma exclaimed. "Lillipup are you alright? You shouldn't battle just after you'd recovered."

The dog-like Pokémon looked at her with determination. _He wanted to prove to his trainer that he will fight for her_, N realized. _He actually wants to battle!_ The Lillipup recovered briefly from the inconvenience and dashed towards his adversary once again. This time, N was too stunned by Lillipup's bravado to further his command. The normal type's attack was a success. He rammed into Purloins side, knocking her down a few feet away.

"Lillipup finish this!"

"Purrloin, dodge the next attack."

But the tackle must've been a bit too harsh on the dark type. Before she could recover, her opponent was already upon her. She let out one last muffled screech as the Lillipup rammed once again into her weak side. And then she was still.

"Very interesting," N concluded. "You sure are a skilled trainer. Your Pokémon's devotion to you is just amazing. I had no words to describe the affection he feels when he speaks of you. I shall be more cautious of that the next time we battle."

It took a moment for Emma to make sense of his accelerated speech. When she did, her lips spread apart to form a crooked smile. "Well don't all Pokémon feel affection towards their trainers? They are suppose to be friends."

N's face turned grim. "It was not always like that," he murmured. "People can be cruel; they can be…monsters. I should get going. It was nice chatting with you."

N could tell that he was just confusing Emma more with his blabbering. _She is so innocent,_ he thought. _If only she'd seen what I've seen._ Without another word, the boy with the flowing wave of green hair walked away. But no matter how unlikely it seemed, N knew that they would meet again soon.

* * *

**Weird twists going on. Ghetsis clearly knew Emma. But from where? I promise more unimaginable twists up ahead. And some more "Deus ex Machina (Google it and you'll know what I mean)"**

**Jack: Really. You used LOL in your writing. I don't really think there is Pepsi there either.**

**Emma: And there was also the bitch slap.**

**Magnus: I'm only human**

**Like this title suggested, each character needs to keep their own precious sense of liberty. They need to decide what is right and stand by their point. The last part kind of made it obvious. This chapter is also kind of long but N gets to take his moment on stage. Anyways, check my Story Status in my profile for my progress and leave a review (I'm kind of in need of them right now). **

**LEAVE A FUCKING REVIEW!**

**QQ Love me**


	5. Chapter 4: Liberation

**I sorry for not updating sooner. It just that I need time off to deal with somethings going on in my life. On the bright side, I went to see Big Hero 6 the day of it's release. The movie is great, but I personally didn't like the ending much. During the whole movie, I keep thinking that the brother is alive somehow, and then it turns out he is not. :( I also didn't really get the concept of the name. Because of it's success, they would surely make a sequel. So I spend my afternoon trying to find Big Hero 1 or 2 but there is only one movie lol. I'm not sure what they're going to name the sequel (Big Hero 6 2? makes no sense) :/**

**Jack: I'm not in this chapter :(**

**N: Don't worry, I haven't been in like half of them.**

**Magnus: I would like the readers to understand that N and Jack is technically one of the main characters but they play roles of the sub-characters (especially N). Emma White is actually the protagonist and the main role.**

**Emma: Bitch plz :)**

**Again...I'm sorry for not updating sooner. This chapter is disappointingly short and includes no battles. I thought testing begins in May but it turns out to be in April because Summer Break comes sooner this year. But the good news is that I've almost finished the next chapter. Originally, they were suppose to be one big chapter, but it was getting too long, so I broke them in half. Hopefully chapter five will be out next weekend.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Four: Liberation

**WHITE -.-**

_Beep!_

A sharp note rang from Emma White's back pocket, shattering the air of silence that had enveloped the forest like a plastic bag.

She was alone again. Her friends were nowhere to be found after her battle with the boy who called himself N. She tried calling them on her Pokédex, but only Cheren picked up. He informed her about the group's decision - they will split up again and meet in the next town. Emma didn't really blame them. They each needed their own privacy to train for the next town's Gym Leaders.

_Beep!_ The high-pitched noise continued.

Emma snapped from her weary trace and pulled out her Pokédex. _Maybe they want to meet again_, she thought. Turns out, it wasn't her friends - Professor Juniper's ID image was the one that flashed on the screen. After a second, her real live face appeared in front of her desk. What could she possibly want?

"Hello fellow trainer!" Professor Juniper began their conversation with a heart-warming smile. "How is your journey so far?"

"No bad," Emma returned the smile weakly. "It's kind of boring going through the routes. Our party split up, and Oshawott will die of heat exhaustion if I keep her out of her pokéball."

"Yes," the professor agreed. "It is kind of humid these days. Don't worry, I promise that things will get exciting soon."

"I hope so."

"Let's bring ourselves back on topic here. Today your mother came to visit me."

Emma's face began to darken. "What did she want?" Her voice was flat, so her question came out more like a statement.

"She wanted me to check on you," Professor Juniper continued, oblivious to Emma's mood change.

"Yeah, like she cares."

Professor Juniper frowned. "Anyways, there is another reason I called. I have a friend in Striaton City named Fennel. She is a scientist researching Pokémon dreams. I asked her to give you something that you might find useful."

"Sure, no problem. I will pay her a visit."

"Thanks, bye!" The screen went dark.

"Well, guess there is nothing to do except train for the next gym," Emma said to herself.

True to her words, Emma went around Route 2, challenging any Pokémon or trainers that came in range. She didn't really force them; they always fought willingly when she found them. In a sense, they enjoyed the exciting challenge. Emma took note to switch between her two Pokémon whenever one got too tired. She knew that constant training can be tedious work but for now, she had never felt so alive.

When the sun started to dip over the mountains, Emma stopped training and headed towards Striaton City. Cheren called, saying that he will be waiting for her in the Trainer School. Not only did she wanted to meet up with her friends, she also relished a good dinner. A peanut butter sandwich would not last her for more than three hours.

A cool breeze ruffled the grass as Emma made her way towards Striaton City. She had been waiting for a hint of weather change all month. Her intense training soaked her clothes with sweat and dirt like a mess-up painting. There were several extra clothes in her backpack, but she felt self-conscious changing out in the forest. What if someone accidentally saw her? Perhaps there was a changing room in the trainer school.

"EmmaEmmaEmmaEmma!" Bianca's voice echoed through the night. Oshawott's trainer looked around and saw her friend bouncing up and down the town entrance. "Thank god I've found you! I haven't seen a single trace of your guys since we split up."

"Did you check for Cheren in the Trainer School?" Emma frowned. It wasn't like Cheren to give out false information. "He said to meet there."

"Oh really?" Bianca squint at Emma's face, trying to detect sarcasm. "I didn't know that."

"Come on lets go," Emma smiled, making a mental note that Cheren hates the blonde more. "I need to heal my Oshawott and Lillipup before we go."

"Oh me too!" said the perky girl. "I mean…I need to heal my Tepig and Lillipup. I don't need to heal my Oshawott because I don't have an Oshawott. I have a Tepig and Lillipup. I need to heal them!"

As Emma walked besides her confused friend, she took in the sight of Striaton City. Being a small town girl, flashing city lights and night life amazed her. It was like she was seeing the world for the first time. _Maybe when I grow up I will settle in the city,_ Emma thought._ It is so filled with wonder and life that I can't even focus on one object for too long. This is what I've been missing my whole life!_

A grand restaurant building illuminated by bright yellow lights caught Emma's attention. It was one of those restaurants that served delicious delicacies that will make your nose bleed and bills that will make your tears fall. She had never been to one of those before. Her mother probably did in her business trips, but Emma was never asked to come. She didn't mind, but it was one of the many pleasures in life she hoped to enjoy once a while. Then her eyes fell upon the sign which read: _Striaton City Gym. Must follow proper restaurant dress code._

Emma grin when she remembered the dress that her babysitter, Elesis, had packed for her. She had complained at the inconvenience and worthlessness of the outfit, but Elesis claimed that she will need a proper dress during her journey. She was right all along. _What will I do without her?_ Emma entertained.

The trip to the Pokémon Center was brief; there was no weird man giving speeches this time. They just healed their Pokémon and got out as fast as possible, for they're both hungry. When they walked out of the Pokémon Center, Emma saw a boy and girl huddle close, whispering to each other.

"…Are you sure," Emma couldn't help overhearing their conversation. The girl was the one that spoke. She was biting the bottom of her lips nervously. "He is your best friend… You can't just let him go…"

"I can't keep him either…" the boy scowled. Underneath his hard expression, Emma could tell the fear and sadness bubbling like an active volcano. "You heard what the man said… It's cruel! I can't keep him lock up inside these wretched devices any longer. I need give him the freedom he deserves…"

Just then, the couple went out of earshot. Emma held back a wave of anger. That man back in Accumula Town as an idiot. He spread lies just because he can. Trainers loved their Pokémon as their best friends. Now, people were actually going along with his fiasco. _They are wrong!_ Emma thought. _The creepy man, the couple, and the tall boy with green hair. Trainers will never hurt their Pokémon. They're happy together._

"Are you okay?" Bianca asked. "You look kind of red."

"Hmm?" Emma emerged from her thoughts. She wasn't sure where Bianca stands in this argument, but she didn't want to discuss it with her anyways. "…I'm fine. Just hungry."

A hurricane of nostalgia ran over Emma as she entered the trainer school. There seemed to be no classes going on right then, but the way the desks and chairs line up just reminded Emma too much of _her_ school. There was even a teacher standing in front of the black board. _Never mind,_ Emma's head nearly burst from holding in her laughter. _It's just Cheren_.

"Excuse me sir," Emma said. She walked up to tap the shoulder of her male friend. "Will class be beginning shortly?"

"Ha!" Cheren said wearily. "That was very funny."

"What is wrong?" Bianca asked. "I thought you want to be a teacher."

"That is _got_ be a joke," Cheren frowned. "When one teaches an art to another, it symbolizes that one's career has ended. It's a pathetic and weak career. I aspire to become the Champion of Unova, not some low life teacher living on minimum age."

"But remember who nourishes the minds of the next generation," Emma said. "Teachers play an important role in society."

Obviously annoyed at his philosophy being challenged, Cheren scowled and turn to face the two girls.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"We want you to accompany two splendid ladies to dinner," Emma replied with grace. She then glanced at Cheren's attire. "We also need to get Bianca something nice to wear. Since you're always the stylish gentleman, we probably need to pull something out of your wardrobe."

Cheren looked at his dress-shirt and tie. "Why don't we just eat at the Pokémon Center? It's free!"

"Come on Cheren," Emma gave the boy a puppy-eyed look. "You're saying that for our entire adventure, you're not going to at least buy us a nice dinner. Well, it's also the Striaton City Gym, so you probably don't have to pay anyways."

Cheren flushed red behind his glasses. "Okay fine," He agreed reluctantly. Without much digging, he produced a neatly folded set of white dress-shirt, black pant, and an even darker tie. "These are for men though."

"I'm nothing if not flexible," Bianca shrugged. "I'm gonna go change in the restroom."

When Bianca was out of ear shot, Cheren slid in front of Emma to prevent her from leaving too.

"You know the speech Ghetsis gave in Accumula Town?" Cheren asked in a near whisper even though there was no one else in the room.

Emma scowled when she recalled the creepy man with the soul-seeking eyes. It also surprised her that Cheren spoke the man's name so carelessly. "Of course I do!" She hissed. "I overheard a conversation going on between two trainers just about five minutes ago. The boy wants to released his Pokémon because of what he'd said."

"I've heard the rumors too," Cheren paused. He was slightly shaky when he resumed, almost like he didn't want to ask the next question. "You…you don't really believe them…do you?"

"Of course not!"

"Good. I just want to make sure. Anyways, I've been doing a little research here in this school after I've heard the speech. I didn't find anything about Team Plasma, but I did discover something else intriguing."

Cheren paused to let the suspension grow. Even during serious moments, he can still be a jerk.

"I found some old newspapers, dating back to about a decade ago. There was a band of so-call Pokémon liberators going around Unova, stealing other's Pokémon. They keep their secrecy, only appearing once every few months when the chaos had settled. Finally one member was caught in the act. When press for answers by the police, he claimed that they weren't stealing Pokémon, they were liberating them!"

"Oh my god!" Emma covered her mouth and glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "Should we call the police?"

Cheren shook his head. "No. There is not enough evidence. The captive never spoke his organization's name, and the image was too worn to make out his clothes."

"So what do we do?"

"I came to you first because I trusted you the most. Bianca is loud, and Jack is too shady. I need you to keep quiet about this until I can find more information. You're welcome to help, but this could just be a practice in futility. I might be wrong. Team Plasma might be just another hippy gang."

Emma let her mouth hung open for a minute. She couldn't believe that of all those times she had turn against Cheren, he still relied on her the most. Well, it wasn't like there was much competition anyways.

"I will keep an open eye," Emma nodded.

Right then and there, Bianca stormed in. She bore the expression of an Ursaring who just got bested by a swarm of Beedrills. Emma recoiled. _Did she just overheard our entire conversation?_ Cheren also looked panicked.

"Cheren!" Bianca sneered. The entire world held its breath. "I need help with this stupid tie!"

Emma exchanged a relieved look with her male friend. It wasn't like they hated Bianca or anything, but the spunky blonde might jump in to some wrong conclusions.

"Let me help you," Cheren said obliviously.

* * *

**Weird turn of events...**

**This chapter is mainly used to further develop the plot. I promise an epic battle in the next.**

**As you might've noticed, Emma has a strained relationship with her mother. Mrs. White's character will appear again and play a more important role later in the story. She isn't really a fucked-up bitch ;)**

**Cheren also plays a very important role: he will built a case against Team Plasma with all the information he will gather. His case will eventually be the downfall of the organization. Bianca is mainly there for emotional support but there will a spotlight for her in the future.**

**Other than that, the next chapter will be up soon. Check my story status in my profile page if you don't believe me.**

**Be sure to review. **

**Love me ;v**

**-Magnus**


	6. Chapter 5: A Promise Made

**Yay, I'm done! Here is the epic battle that I'd promised. Last chapter was short, and this chapter is...I dunno :P**

**Anyways, the end of the school year is just around the corner. That means parties, extra orchestra rehearsals, and promotion for me cause I'm going to high school next year! I'm so glad that I (almost) got all the classes I'd wanted, especially Spanish (I wasn't sure if I was going to get in or not because of the Asian population in my school [yeah that was slightly racist] :)**

**A special thank you for all who'd bother to read my shitty writing and share opinions in the review. God I'm so hyped right now.**

**The BW Cast: And a special thank you to Magnus for not abandoning us yet!**

**Magnus: Yes! Five chapters and a prologue, and I'm still going strong! Sorry, I should be ashamed.**

**Jack: And without further ado, here is my half of the chapter.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Five: A Promise Made

**GRAY O.O**

"Pawniard, use Fury Cutter."

A stream of random curses billowed out of Jimmy's mouth like a muddy current, extremely difficult to discern. Jack knew that Pawniard's new move Torment wasn't really fair to Pokémon with only one attacking move. Nevertheless, it was amusing to watch the Patrat use Struggle throughout the entire match, dealing minimum, if not any amount of damage. It saved Jack from having to pull out a healing potion after every match to keep his Pokémon going.

Pawniard and his trainer politely smiled at their opponent and walked away with their winning prides. Jack had considered catching a new Pokémon for his team, but there weren't any around that caught his interest. The Pokédex taught him a lot about battle techniques and the best way to train without laboring his Pokémon too much. He quickly defeated every trainer he'd came across in Route 2. Not to brag, but for a boy who'd only lived in this world for less than twelve hours, his performance surpasses many of those who grew up here. His ability to quickly adapt to situations played a major role in his calm posture.

During his brief trip in Accumula Town, he'd found a hint to his mission - or rather he thought he did. The young boy had been pondering over Team Plasma's speech whenever his mind was free to wander. Pokémon liberation seemed to be the subject that tore chaos throughout town that day. Everybody - trainers and civilians alike - deliberated over whether they want their Pokémon to be free. Whispers and gossip drifted around town like a ghost suppressed in melancholy, always there but in a sad, forbidden manner. Maybe Pokémon and humans should be separated from each other for their own good. But it seemed to Jack that the entire system will fall apart without the bonds between trainer and Pokémon. What about the Gyms, the Unova League, and this entire world's franchise? He can't speak for other regions, but Unova's economy seemed to be based on Pokéballs, potions, and Pokémon Centers. This world will surely fall into disarray if they were separated from those creatures.

_Maybe that's what my world was like,_ Jack thought. He spend some time entertaining that idea. It'd seemed extreme to him before, but there could be a slight chance that the animals in his world were once like Pokémon, but they eventually went extinct. Although any history or biology teacher would've laughed their lungs out at his theory, it was a very amusing idea - unlikely but nevertheless amusing.

After another half an hour of wandering, Jack chanced upon Striaton City. Because he'd spend his life roaming around cities, Striaton didn't really captivate him like it did to Emma. Without a clue to where they were supposed to meet, he lingered between each building until he located the Pokémon Center. There, he quickly healed his Pawniard.

"The Striaton City Gym is about a block from here," the energetic Nurse Joy was saying. "You have to follow proper restaurant dress code in order to enter. You mind as well tell your friends that before they get turned down at the door."

"Thanks," Jack said. _I'll just wait for them in the Gym._ He concluded._ And probably earn my first badge while I'm at it._ He was about to walk away when an idea struck him. The boy paused, then turned back to Nurse Joy. "Just out of curiosity… What are your thoughts about Pokémon liberation?"

"Same as any Nurse Joy," she frowned. "Without trainers and Pokémon, we will be out of business. We dedicate our lives to helping and healing Pokémon in need. Without that purpose…our lives will be meaningless."

"Gotcha," Jack said innocently. "Just wondering."

While he waited for Pawniard to be healed, Jack dug through his backpack once more. His suspicions were proven correct: the lady actually packed him a pair dress shirt and tie (yes, like Cheren's). After a quick trip to the men's room, Jack came out feeling awkward, for he was the only one in the Pokémon Center dressed so formally.

The trainer hurried out of the building and crossed the street without pausing for a breath. Standing besides the back door of the restaurant was a man dressed in a similar fashion who called himself Clyde. He escorted Jack inside the Gym/restaurant and hurried off without another word.

The Striaton City Gym was designed pretty much like a butler café. Elegant drapes hung before each door, and delicate tiles dominated the floor. Jack was no stranger to fancy diners. Before all the craziness started happening, his family would go out for dinner every Saturday night. Jack remembered a time - when he was around six - when they were attending a party hosted in a similar restaurant. Their driver got lost half way, and they were stuck in the woods for two hours before they located civilization again. By the time they got to the party, they found out that their host had already left the place along with crowd.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and breathed calmly through his mouth. It was a very effective way to shun his emotions, for it worked many times before. Why be plagued by memories so far back? But still, the diner reminded him of his old life - where happiness never seemed out of reach.

Clyde came back, his face as expressionless as ever. He struck Jack as a very formal person, almost like a soldier. One of this world's most off-putting idiosyncrasies was the way some individuals' personalities cloned others like uniforms hanged neatly in the same closet. The Nurse Joys were an example, for their ever-present smile never dimmed, and their kindness never ceased. The Gym Guides were no different with their robotic emotions and army-like stance, which was hardly encouraging to new trainers.

"How many Pokémon do you currently possess?" Clyde asked. A deep booming drum emanated from his mouth, a frightening thunderclap. Jack had no doubt that every Gym Guide spoke like him. "And what type is your starter Pokémon?"

"I only have one Pokémon," Jack answered. It'd came across his mind that he should at least have a back-up. "He is a dark/steel type Pawniard."

"Only one," the man murmured. He didn't sound disappointed, but that was hardly better. "So you will be battling Chili."

"I don't get it," Jack said as he rushed to match the Gym Guide's pace. "Do we get to choose who we battle?"

"Of course not," Clyde said without stopping. "The Striaton City Gym is designed to get new trainers out of their comfort zone. There are three Gym Leaders here who each specializes in a Pokémon from each of the three elements. You will battle the trainer whose Pokémon has a type advantage over your starter's."

By now, Jack was regretting his decision to use only Pawniard for this Gym battle. He wanted to slap himself for not catching a Lillipup or even a Patrat earlier.

They stopped in front of a fiery red curtain adorned by a giant fire symbol. Right beneath the curtain were three panels, each depicting one of the three elements. The Gym Guide explained to him the task: behind each curtain was a trainer ready to test his abilities, and in order to get past the curtains, he needed to step on the panel with the element type effective against the element on the curtain. It was hardly a challenge to Jack. Even without the Pokédex, common knowledge dictates that water is effective against fire. Without doubt the curtain opened to reveal the real hindrance of this Gym.

The first of these obstacles was a busboy holding a plate that contains a pokéball. His Lillipup wasn't much of a problem, and in less than a minute, the puppy was out. Then Jack opened the curtain behind the busboy (seriously, how could anyone not get this?) and was immediately challenged by a waitress. Her Patrat and Purrloin were a bit more difficult to defeat, but they were no match for his well-trained Pawniard.

Finally, after the green curtain opened, Jack witnessed his true opponent - or rather opponents since there were three of them. Yes, there were three Gym Leaders, each garbed in standardized waiter outfits. Jack cringed in fear: one of them might either be his victory or downfall.

"Hello," said one of the waiters. His green hair stuck up like a small turf of grass. "Welcome to the Striaton City Gym. My name is Cilan, and I specialize in Grass-type Pokémon."

"I'm Chili!" exclaimed the fiery red head. "I like to spark things up with Fire-types!"

"And my name is Cress," said the last waiter, a young man with a blue flow of hair. "I main Water-type Pokémon. What type of Pokémon did you start out with?"

"A Dark/Steel-type," Jack answered definitely. "So I assume that I will be battling Chili."

"Right you are!" the waiter yelled. He had one of those spunky attitudes that reminded Jack too much of Bianca. "And I won't be going easy on you."

"I won't either!" Jack said. He was never an enthusiastic type, but the fever of battle must've infected him. "Where do we start?"

"Right here," Chili replied obviously.

Jack scrutinized the scene cynically. The room was pretty wide with chairs stacked in one corner and flipped tables around the middle - an average storing room.

"A good trainer can use anything to his advantage," Cilan explained. "He can also make the best out of any setting."

Jack nodded - it made sense. "Then I will summon my Pawniard."

"My Lillipup will crush your Pokémon head on," Chili cheered.

And so the two Pokémon stood facing each other. The dog yapped around while Pawniard stood silently, observing his opponent just like his trainer instructed him to do before every battle. Jack wasn't too worried about Lillipup. All the normal-type could probably do was weaken his Pokémon. His main problem was the fire-type that Chili kept hidden in his pokéball. _I should play this carefully, _Jack thought. _Let him attack first so I can figure out his weak points._

"Lillipup use Bite!" Chili commanded, signaling the start of the match. The two other leaders stood in the corner, quietly observing the fight from afar.

"Pawniard, dodge."

A sly grin spread across Chili's face like a nasty scar. He made a whistle sound with his lips, and the advancing puppy immediately changed directions. Pawniard jumped to the left but was intercepted by Lillipup before he could evade the attack. Jack winced as the normal-type gripped his Pokémon with his mouth and threw him across the room.

"Trying to dodge the first attack is the oldest trick in the book," Chili laughed. "You can't expect the same moves to save you every time. One important strength of professional trainers is the ability to think outside the box. You can't defeat an enemy that anticipates your every move now, can you?"

As much as Jack hated it, the red head was right. _He has too much control over his Lillipup. _the trainer thought. _He won't easily be fooled, so I've got to think of something else._ Jack made a brief calculation as he observed each of their Pokémon. Pawniard seemed to had recovered from the Bite, but Jack can't afford to lose his only Pokémon to Lillipup.

"I have to stall," Jack murmured to himself, then out loud he said: "Pawniard, use Torment."

"Quick, cancel his move!" Chili shouted urgently.

Before Pawniard could execute his attack, Lillipup jumped at him, making the Dark/Steel-type cancel his move in order to dodge. Jack held back a bursting wave to anger as his plan failed once again. _How am I suppose to do anything if Lillipup keeps predicting my every moves?_ He was screaming inside. His rage only intensified when the opponent successfully used Work Up. _Great! Now he is even stronger than before._

Then a light bulb flashed in his head. Chili might be able to predict his every move, but can he predict something that is not real? With a deep breath, Jack decided to put his plan into action.

"Pawniard," Jack mouthed his words carefully. "Use Torment again."

Pawniard glanced back to see his trainer slightly shaking his head. They had never established any special signals, but something is definitely off. Why try to stop a passive skill when there were bigger fishes to fry? Knowing that his trainer couldn't be so ignorant, Pawniard was hesitant to attack.

"How foolish!" Chili hooted. "Didn't even learn your lesson! Lillipup, attack him."

"Now!" Jack's voice crack slightly. He wasn't sure if this will work or not. "Use Fury Cutter!"

Since Pawniard wasn't focused on his original attack anyways, he was able to quickly switch skills the second Jack opened his mouth. Unfortunately, the Lillipup wasn't that swift. His charge was interrupted by a series of furious slashes on the side. The normal-type was thrown to the ground while his opponent continued his advance by going for an additional Scratch, gravely injuring Chili's Pokémon.

"Very clever," the red-head laughed, retrieving his Pokémon. His fellow brothers nodded in agreement. "Turning my own plans against me. But the battle is not over yet." - he summoned his Pansear - "I will finish you off with my Pansear. You only have one Pokémon, and his type is at disadvantage. This battle should be over quick."

"Don't count on it," Jack smiled. Even though he knew about the impossible miles ahead, he couldn't help but feel boosted by his current victory. But just in case, he hastily healed Pawniard with a potion. "But it does seem kind of difficult."

"Pansear, finish this once and for all with Incinerate!"

"Leap over the flames and attack with Scratch!"

For some reason, the Dark/Steel-type's attack was successful. The Scratch attack marked a careless bruise on the back of the monkey's head. Heedless of his Pokémon's injuries, the Gym Leader, announced another Incinerate attack. Like before, Pawniard danced easily away.

During the fifth attack (or the fifth escape), Pawniard accidentally stumbled and the flames got a lick of his left hand. Jack bit the bottom of his lips anxiously: Pawniard had a serious burn status but there is no time to heal him. If they were to win, Pawniard will need to finish this fast, and Jack saw their opening when Pansear released another jet of Incinerate.

"Pawniard, use Fury Cutter to slice through the flames."

Even though the Dark-type was exhausted from engaging two Pokémon, he still found the strength and bravado to dive straight into the fire. His blade-like hands glowed as they cut right through the flames like butter. Since Pansear wasn't prepared for the counterattack, he fell victim to the Fury Cutter. Jack saw his chance and ordered Pawniard to use Torment, which rendered the move Incinerate useless. Before Chili could even form the words in his mouth, the Fire-type was out.

A heavy silent weighed in the room like a winter blanket. Finally, a single clap hack through the reticence, followed by another, and then another. Pretty soon, all the Gym Leaders were clapping, including the waiters and waitresses that challenged Jack earlier. The teen couldn't help but feel a strong sense of pride in his accomplishments even though he still hadn't fully understand it yet.

"Congratulations!" Cress had spoken for the first time since he'd introduced himself. "Not bad of a performance. You will make a fine trainer one day."

"Yes," Cilan agreed. "That was pretty clever. Maybe sometimes in the future, I will get the chance to challenge you too."

"Well," Chili scowled. "Sometime in the future, I will like a rematch."

"Here," Cilan strolled over and handed the trainer a small metal badge. "On behalf of the Striaton City Gym, I present to you the Trio Badge - a token for your victory and a key to your next Gym. Go ahead, you deserve it."

"Um…" Jack fumbled a bit, but accepted the badge. "Thanks, I guess."

"I know you're hungry, so would you like to dine here? Dinner is on us!"

"Sure! Why the heck not?" Cilan signal for his brothers to open the door while he guided Jack through the complex of chairs and tablecloths.

The interior of the diner was nothing new to Jack. Ladies and Gentleman garbed in their finest night clothes chattered away in their whitewashed tables, eating the finest food money can buy. It wasn't long before he spotted his friends (they are nice people, so it wouldn't hurt to remain in friendly terms with them) and waved to them. Although her face was strained red from the chocking grasp of her outfit, Bianca gladly returned the signal.

"I see your friends had just arrived," said Cilan. "You can join them while I bring the menu."

"So have you guys battled yet?" Jack asked when he was properly seated. "I didn't see you come in."

"Actually we just got here," Emma said. "We came in through the front door."

"Since they claim to be as hungry as hell," Cheren explained. "We decided to eat before challenging the Gym Leaders. Did you have the chance to battle yet?"

"As a matter of fact," Cilan replied. He had came back with their menu. "He single-handedly defeated my brother with just one Pokémon. It was one of the best matches I've seen so far."

"Really?" Bianca was practically jumping out of her chair. "Just one Pokémon? You must've really improved from your last battle when you -"

"We will like to order," Emma said, cutting the blonde off.

"Excellent! What will you like?"

Everyone at the table fell silent. All the fancy names in the menu were hard to decipher. Even Cheren stared speechlessly at the words.

"I will have the lobster risotto and the steak," Jack said without missing a beat.

"Special Sauce or no?"

"No thank you."

"And the rest of you guys?"

The group stared at the boy in shock. Bianca was squinting so hard at the pages that her eyes nearly popped out.

"I guess I will have the steak and…whatever he said too," Emma glanced around nervously. The others ordered the same thing.

"I will be back with your orders."

It was during the mist of their eating (Bianca was poking the lobster with her fork; Cheren was trying to eat gracefully; and Emma was just staring at her medium-cooked steak) when Emma finally muster the courage to ask.

"You seem awfully used to this," She was memorized at the way he handled his silverware. "Do you do this often?"

"I use to eat like this all the time when I was little," Jack replied. "No matter how many years you spend picking pockets in streets corners, you don't forget this easily. The ethics of dinning is like riding a bike: never forget it once you learn it."

"So are you loaded?" Bianca asked carelessly, earning a kick from Cheren.

"Not really…" Jack could tell that this was getting awkward.

"Well this is nice, isn't it?" Emma quickly changed the subject. "It's so peaceful and really weird to be dinning in a place like this."

"Maybe we can do this again," Bianca suggested, her eyes sparkling just like the last time when she had a great idea. "Hey, I have a great idea!"

"What is it this time?" Cheren spat the words out wearily.

"How about in exactly ten years from now, no matter where we are in the world, we will get together like one big happy family and dine like this again. You can bring the kids too!" - for some reason when she said that, she was looking directly at Jack and Emma. The two teens blushed slightly when the idea came in mind. - "We can have like a thanksgiving table with the food and the party balloons. Yes, definitely the party balloons!"

"Okay slow down there Bianca," Cheren warned. "Don't get too ahead of yourself."

"Well I for one think it's a great idea," Emma said. "Let's all make a promise to gather exactly ten years from now and have a grand dinner like one big happy family. I promise."

"I promise."

"I promise."

"I promise," Jack smiled.

* * *

**Useless ending lol. But no, it's going to be reflected later on in the story.**

**I started the Gym battle like an energetic rat, but then ended up rushing the second half of the battle. Can you forgive me? Of course not! The last part is a fun little insight of their growing friendship. More like goofing off for me :3**

**I think I've stated before, but I'm going to say it anyways: This story is not focused on battles. It's like 90% plot and 10% Pokemon things (like how my math notebook is consist of 90% drawings and 10% notes ;) I skipped Cheren and Bianca's battle cause I feel that it's too early. Might include later battles once I've decided on the interval.**

**Next chapter is about the Dream Yard. And what goes on at night in the bedrooms ;p**


	7. Chapter 6: Shadow Waltz

_**Siiiip...**_

**It's officially 10 o' clock in Saturday morning. Coffee and toast in front my computer screen is one way to live. Yesterday, my school's orchestra had a late night concert that ran until eleven and I didn't get home until twelve. I will admit: I have a hard time staying awake right now but please bear with me. Promotion is next week and I'm so elated and nervous at the same time. On one hand, high school seems like a frightening prospect, but I've been looking forward to this art school I'm enrolling in during the summer.**

**Anyways, I feel that my writing has been improving in every chapter. I don't feel like changing the first few chapters because I'm lazy TAT. Maybe when I find time... Nevertheless, I'm very proud of this chapter. It is one of the best I've written so far (I think) and it really inspired me to keep going. There is absolutely no progress in this chapter but it highlights the philosophy that this story centers around.**

**My English teacher says that we are either, a glass is half full kind of person, a glass half empty, or a realist. Everybody wants to bee the realist but in reality, rarely anybody is. I feel that it is the same for Truth and Ideals, and there is a third party - the so called realist - or what this story will refer to as sinners and humanity. Most people are either truth-seekers or idealist, and very few can be the "realist." Enjoy!**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Six: Shadow Waltz

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

A blade of light stuck through the darkness like an arrow, heading straight towards the defenseless girl. A trail of flames followed its wake, lighting the dark cavern with its fierce glow. The sudden brightness made the girl jump in freight, quickly covering her eyes as if they would burn along with everything she'd loved. The flames turned to surround her, but they never dared to lay a finger on her, for they were saving their appetite for a much bigger prize.

She swatted. She struggled. She bat her arms around like a baby bird but to no prevail. The fire retreated when her hands got too near but would return when she shrank back into her hopeless hole. They were teasing her - the flames, life, even her stupid mind. They laughed, jeered, and pushed her around like a lifeless rag doll.

"Daddy!" a faint voice shouted through the sea of light. She knew that it was her voice but it seemed as if someone else was speaking through her mouth - someone else that was controlling her actions. A small part of her kept on screaming, but the rest of her soul had already given up. "Daddy, I'm here!"

For some miraculous reason, the girl found the strength to crawl. With aching shoulders, teary eyes, and blistering hands, she moved inch by inch towards nowhere. She can't do anymore than that, for her bones were adhesive jellies fasten to the floor with seatbelts and nails. The only thing that didn't limit her was the fire. The dancing mirages of red, orange, and yellow made way for her as she shouted again, looking for something she couldn't see.

Then she heard it - a man's hacking cough resound through everything like a sharp note. A figure appeared in front of her - a figure that seemed familiar but yet alien - dancing like a mad man. Hands flailing along with the beats of the flame, he was there but only existed as a ghost from the past.

"Daddy, I'm here," she cried once again in vain. Her fruitless efforts only further condemned her when the shadow stopped to face her.

"What are you doing here?" the man said. His voice was surreal as if he was speaking into a microphone. "Get out of here right now!"

As if on cue, a pair of hands lifted the grieve-stricken child away from her father. The girl could only watch helplessly as the flames enveloped him, twisting his shadow into millions of gruesome piece before swallowing him up like he was an just ordinary prey, unable to escape the cruel jaws of death.

The girl screamed and trashed as she was hauled away from the wreck. No one was there to prevent her sorrow; no one was there to save his pain. They were only tiny wooden boats stranded at a sea containing millions of others. They were just existing, and then not existing…

For the first time in what seemed like forever, the flames were gone, but the darkness still hosted the fiasco. The girl saw a face - a friendly face that made her sick inside. It was not her father but a stranger - a man she didn't recognize. She didn't need someone to talk to or make jokes with. All that was buried inside the burning house. What she really wished for was a hole to shiver up and die in. Maybe then she can finally join her father.

"I'm waiting for you," the stranger sang. The words came out of his mouth like a heartwarming lullaby, but nothing can healed the void inside her. "Learn the truth and burn the ideals."

It was sickening. A retching feeling swelled inside the girl's stomach, but yet at the same time she felt nothing. Her arms weren't moving, her legs weren't walking. She was sleeping in an endless dream where she wasn't in control. Someone else was. _Maybe this is what it feels like to die_, she thought. _This is death - a calm, peaceful void where you can be alone in your miseries._ Perhaps she was right; her father was gone, and the stranger was gone too. She was alone in her miseries… probably the greatest and worst gift life could ever give you.

_ No one was there to save them. They were just existing, and then not existing…_

**O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O**

He was tired.

And hungry. And slightly feverish. The cheap metro bus jolted heavily, bringing the boy bouncing on his bottom. What was it? A dead cat? How long had he been riding in this stupid vehicle? Oh, not that long; maybe just a few hours. Or has it been days? Surely the bus driver would've noticed the poorly dressed boy and his abhorrent odor by now.

Phantasmagorical colors swirled like multi-colored lollipops before his eyes. Enigmatic speeches went in one ear and out the other. He couldn't stay on one thought longer than a second; his mind was leaking like a busted facet. People came and went like insidious being passing by from their extraterrestrial worlds.

At some point, a black girl scout with about a thousand hair braids took five brave steps towards him in a slow, reluctant motion with a box of sugar coated cookies before turning on her heels and dashing back to a more civilized part of the bus. He was alone in the back seat, for passengers were awfully skirmish around him. A child delinquent? A runaway? But ten-year-old hadn't committed any crimes yet, and he couldn't be considered a runaway if he had no home to return to.

Trees and houses passed him by like some silent slideshow dedicated to increase his nausea and headache. He kept his head low and eyes focused on the left window. But what he didn't notice was another boy, maybe six years older, observing him with a pair of sad and curious eyes.

"Why am I watching this?" he whispered to the man sitting beside him. "I rather forget what happened here."

"And why would you want to do that?" the man countered in a more normal volume. The people around them, even the baggy-eyed lady holding a sleeping baby, remained motionless as if they weren't there at all. Which in a way, the teenager realized, was true. "Our past is all we have, and it shapes us into the sculptures we are today."

"Then in that case, show me a better past like my fifth birthday party or something."

The man shook his head. "I have no control over this other than my mere presence. This is your dream, so you are the artist here."

"Alright." - awkward pause - "Then tell me why are you here. This is my memory and my misery. Can't life just allow me one night of melancholy by myself without some…some _being_ from…heck…I don't even know what this is anymore!"

"Well, you can't say that I've made your life worst, can you?"

"Umm…" this caught him off guard. The man had a point.

"To answer your previous question: I am here to lend a hand."

"Lend a hand?" The boy raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I know how confusing it is to be dragged into a situation where you can make no heads or tails of it. But you need to remain calm and looking around (which you had excelled at so far). I can't help you too much for the fear of influencing your decisions - and believe me you will make some important ones - and in turn, paving out the wrong path. Tell me one thing though: do you believe in destiny, or a higher being?"

"No," the boy answered flatly. It was hardly time for _him _to be the one answering questions. "We make our own decisions in life, despite all outside influences. You are one example of the deities that I don't care much for."

"Excellent," the man smiled. "You are the driver of your life. That is the truth, and that is also the ideal. I might have some powers, but I cannot control all. There are people out there that spend their life digging for the truth, and some waste time seeking the ideals. But it's all a practice of futility, if you ask me, because they had already possessed these articles within themselves. Unfortunately only a few people - like yourself - that can truly and ideally see what is in front of them all along."

"Cool speech! But you still haven't told what your name yet."

Suddenly a bus stop came into view, and the man's smile stretched wider as he stood up. He adjusted his suit like he was getting ready to deport like the rest of the passengers. He turned around and walked towards the exit, but not before a single, barely audible word escaped his lips.

The word made no sense to the teenager still composed in his seat, but it felt like it should like a long distant memory that he had forgotten when he stuck his head on a brick wall.

Altogether, the bus lunged into a abrupt stop, heaving the passengers into an endless pool of phantoms and shadows. He turned around and saw the younger version of himself collapsing on the floor in faint. He rushed the boy's aid but realized that he was slipping away himself. A loud shout of vanity, but no words came out.

Stupid dream!

Can't even catch a break!

And they were falling, gliding effortlessly down the bottomless void that had enveloped everything around them. Slipping…he wants to help the feverish child but he was being pulled away. He flung his arms out in attempt to stop the unconquerable tide but to no avail. His body was limbless and he could only watch as his dream came to an end.

_Kyurem..._

WHITE -.-

It was happening again.

The dreams that used to wake Emma White up in the middle of the night, shivering in cold sweat and tears, had came back to haunt her. As she sat there at the edge of her bed hugging her legs to keep warm (even though she was sweating beneath her tank top and shorts), she fascinated over the reasons for her phantom's return. Did her adventure trigger too much of her childhood nightmares? Was her own mind trying to punish her? For god sakes she was happy!

Bianca's loud snoring jolted Emma out of her miserable melancholy. Just the convivial presence of her friends lifted enough atrocity for her to smile. It was agreed over some intense debate that Bianca should share a room with Emma (rock, paper, scissors), for they all acknowledged her deafening snores. The general ground rule was that everyone must be asleep before Bianca could even think about shutting her eyes.

Emma fumbled a little with her blanket, then tossed the article aside and climbed out of bed. The Pokémon Center had a small lounge with a mini-fridge specially designed for trainers seeking a late nigh snack. So with a destination in mind, Emma headed down the dark empty halls, trying to ward off any remaining fragments of her nightmare.

_Shadows on the wall, I can see them fall here, there, and everywhere._

A small nightlight guided her way as Emma entered the lounge. Her only company was an eerie 42nd Street musical number playing from an old radio. The min-fridge was packed with alcohol (mostly cold beer), but she did managed to find one bottle of Arrowhead sitting alone like a scrub at lunch.

Suddenly, she felt another presence behind her. Who was there? A rapist? A serial killer? What should she do? She didn't have any weapons to fend off whoever it was. Perhaps she could protect herself with the Trio Badge she'd earned earlier this evening, The surface was metal, and the edges were sharp. She could stun him and then run away. No, no, all too out of reach. Maybe she could just scream for help. But before she could make any attempted movements, she felt a hand being placed upon her shoulders, and she nearly jumped a mile off the wooden floorboards.

"Hey, are you okay?" A familiar voice echoed through the poorly lit room. "You look as pale as a ghost."

Emma sighed and divulged her sense of relief. "Oh, thank god!" she exclaimed. How did the boy inherit such unnatural footsteps? She couldn't hear him even if he was right besides her."I thought you were some rapist or serial killer or something. What are you doing up so late?"

The boy's mysteriously dark eyes seemed to gaze into her soul for a moment, then he blink a little before revealing his sheepish grin. "I could've asked you the same thing," Jack said. He was wearing a black t-shirt twice his size and basketball shorts. "But in any case, I had trouble sleeping so I came down here for a drink." He held up one of the beer bottles commonplace in the mini-fridge.

"Me too!" She paused to ease the air to tension between them (maybe just her). "How strange…"

"Yes, very. Now would you like to sit down. Cheren made me sleep on the floor and it's giving me adolescent back pain."

Their conversation was paused by a messy scramble to find chairs as if they were back in preschool. When they were seated across the table from each other, Emma found Jack's eyes on her again. Wasn't it weird how he keeps on staring at her like that? And it wasn't just to her; he did that to everyone. It was as if his head was in the clouds, but his body refused to leave the earth, and his eyes were gazing off into a distant realm.

"Tell me," Jack started their tête-à-tête with a sip of his beer. "What keeps an ordinary, small-town girl like Emma awake at night."

"Oh," Emma couldn't help but blush. "It's nothing… It's just these occasional childhood nightmares that doesn't really meaning anything."

"Really? Are you telling me that the shadows that had haunt you since childhood meant nothing?"

"Well, I don't want to make you uncomfortable by telling you all this."

"I don't mind," he shook his head and blinked rapidly. "This beer isn't strong enough."

"If you say so," Was he drunk? Why did she feel so open with him? Emma took a deep breath before beginning. "My father died when I was about five. There was a fire - an accident. The fire department came too late. They rescued me but was unable to save my father from the wreckage. My mother and I had to move to another region - Hoenn. And ever since the fire, I had what my shrink called PTSD (post trauma stress disorder). I would hate the idea of even going near a camp fire, or a stove. For a few years, I would have nightmares where I repeatedly relive that moment of helplessness." - she felt something wet in her eyes (tears?) - "I'm sorry to rabble on like that. Got you all vexed in my screwed-up life. It's not fair."

"It's okay…" Jack smiled. "I know how it feels to lose someone so young."

Emma cleared her throat in attempt to regulate the mutual boundaries between them. "So, why are _you_ wandering around in the middle of the night?" she asked. "What's your story Mr. Mysterious?"

"Bad dream," the boy shrugged. "Needed a drink; the usual. Not much to tell."

"Now _that_ wasn't fair," Emma peered at his drink and sure enough: 100% alcoholic beer. "Did your parent's know anything about you drinking underage."

"They didn't object." (which, in a way, was true) "Sometimes the beer cases are closer to the exit."

Emma frowned at the comment. His words were just stringing her like a puppet, without offering any sense of clarity. "Come on, I'd shared something about myself. It's only reasonable that you do the same."

Much to Emma's surprise, her efforts were acknowledged by mocking laughter. Before she could voice her confusion, Jack threw the glass bottle at the nearest trash can, resulting in an alarming ring that suffocated her thoughts. "You are a smart girl," he smiled warmly, but there was also a sense of nervousness lingering by the edge of his lips. "Keep digging! Maybe one day you will find more than fool's gold."

Emma snuffed out her irritation as they both remained silent and stared out the stainless window that was carelessly posted besides the door. The full moon seemed to look back at them as if it was part of their conversation too. It was one of those hot spring nights that didn't really make sense. Somewhere in the trees came the cries of an annoyed Noctowl, echoing through the air like a restless specter.

A thought came across Emma's mind that made her flinch internally. What did the fireman say? Learn the truth? Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask…

"Can you at least tell me one thing?" Emma could feel the staleness of her words. "Do you believe in the truth?" When her question was received by a pair of confused eyebrows, she quickly added: "You know… like the ultimate truth." She made a big you-know gesture with her hands. "What the universe is made of…why we're here and all that shit."

"How ironic," Jack chuckled, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "Someone asked me a very similar question today."

When he realized that Emma couldn't be placated with just an off-topic joke, he shrugged and shift his gaze down to the table. "If destiny is what you mean," he said reluctantly. "I want no part of it."

"Why?"

"Because, Emma, I don't want to spend my life searching for some unknown incognito."

"But one day I will find it…And I'm sure it will be more grand and wonderful than we could ever imagine."

"Now you're talking like an idealist."

"But I'm a truth-seeker, and one day I will find my place."

"Emma…" Jack stopped to look around. There was no one there but them and the eerie Broadway music set in retrograde. "What if…what if the truth is right in front of us all along? And you're just not looking hard enough. I don't need others to choose my fate because I know what is right, and I'm sure you do too."

"Then what do you call yourself? A idealist?"

"Neither."

With another skittish crackle of laughter, he turned to leave, dodging between furniture like he was dodging questions: a quick shuffle here, and a witty little hop there. But Emma was a stubborn child - she had always been since birth - and she was determine to unearth "more than fool's gold." Unfortunately, her inquires would have to rest, for the sake of 2:00 a.m.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to sleep. Hopefully, I will get same nightmare again."

Emma sat on her seat, her exhausted body was draining too much energy away for her limbs to work. All she could do was watch Jack's small radiance of life drift out of the room, becoming smaller and smaller until it disappears, leaving Emma in the company of the shadows and their waltz.

* * *

**Haha... no progress at all. Seven chapters and still stuck in the first gym.**

**The dream thing is really inspirational. It convinced me to add more imagery into my writing. This chapter will depict some of the subplots going on in the background like Emma's relationship with her family and Jack's difficult past.**

**Shadow Waltz is a musical number in the play 42nd Street. I'm a fan of the theater and music so...yeah. This chapter is dedicated to the play. If you haven't seen 42nd Street yet, I highly recommend this to you.**

**N: Finally, I will have my scene in the next chapter.**

**Magnus: Yes N will be making an appearance in the next chapter, but I don't feel like I need to talk about him much though.**

**N :(**

**Okay! I feel like I've been in such a rush to update and stuff. I probably won't write the next chapter so fast, so expect Chapter 7 to be up at the end of June or early July. Thanks you for the support and plz leave a review. I will update my story status in my profile page to let you guys know about my progress.**

**Chapter 7 is all about the dream yard.**


	8. Chapter 7: Pink Cocaine

**Happy 5th of July everyone. HaHa... This chapter took longer than I thought. I've actually started drafting the story on old notebooks rather than start straight away on the computer. I found that it helps my ideas flow better, so I don't have to stare at a screen for hours (it hurts my eyes.) That's one of the reason this chapter took so long.**

**Anyways, summer is here and there is nothing to do. Honestly the only subjects that runs in my mind every single day is TV, sex, games, and this fanfiction. I really don't want to talk to my friends (I've completely ignored Skype and Instagram). For all I know they could be having the times of their lives sky jumping in the Netherlands and I don't even give a shit.**

**I had fun with this chapter (not as much as the last one though) and the used of figurative language and words. It's nothing special - just regular old plot and your average battle. I've also edited some of the early chapters (up to chapter 3 so far) and realized how much mistakes I was making. Oh well!**

**Oh I've almost forgot! I just got my 4th quarter report card back and guess what my lowest grade is!**

**It's fucking P.E.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Seven: Pink Cocaine

**BLACK^.^**

It was a perfectly pleasant day in Striaton City.

A petite gust of wind stirred the spring heat up with a hint of its own spice. Mothers were pulling their reluctant children into the Trainer School, trainers flew through ramps on bikes while their Pokémon raced excitingly behind, and businessmen ran around humming to the tune of their cell phones and stomping with the beats of their watches. Pokémon big and small existed side by side with the humans from laboring in the garden to playing hopscotch with the kids. It was a completely ordinary day, and no one could've asked for more - no one except N.

The skinny teen with wavelike green hair hid his face underneath the cool shades of the diner and watched the scenes flashed before his eyes in a grim expression. He was sitting in the Gym Leader's restaurant sipping coffee while Zorua, his closest companion, nibbled gleefully at a crispy croissant.

"…So in conclusion," N was summarizing last night's peculiar dream to Zorua. He was speaking in a causal tone as if he was just having normal breakfast with a friend. "I think he was trying to contact me."

Over at the next table, an elderly Asian gentlemen peeked up from his newspaper. Sure, a lot of people talk to their Pokémon, but this was getting too creepy. The boy was speaking to that Zorua as if it would answer back. Kids like him were too old to have imaginary friends. The man shook his head in disdain and submerged his mind into the politics section.

But unbeknownst to the man, N understood every word his Pokémon said and vise versa.

_Great,_ the Pokémon communicated back. _Sent me a postcard._

"You don't get it!" N spoke so loud that he nearly made the gentlemen drop his tea, "He was right there with me."

_And you take this as a sign that it's starting…_

"Oh, it'd started thousands of years ago," N finished up his breakfast. "No, this is the beginning of the _end._"

_Whatever._

"Come on," N stretched his arms out like an Unfezant spreading its wings. "Ghetsis is sending some people to collect the Dream Mist. We should go watch."

Outside, the duo nearly got ran over by a trainer on bike. N made an unintelligent comment on how the trainer forced his Pokémon to keep up with him like he did to almost every trainer he had passed. They claimed to love their Pokémon like friends, but do friends forced each other to hurt themselves? And for what? The spirit of the competition? N felt the French toast doing black-flips in his stomach. His sickness formed like a compilation of pancake stacks with bile as the syrup. Fortunately, the boy had learned to adapt to this disgraceful system, or else his mind would've exploded from overheating. But occasionally, his face would still twist in an ugly snare.

It wasn't an extremely busy day in Striaton City, but everyone walked around with purposeful strides. People were so adamant about their daily chores that hardly anyone took notice of the tall, lanky boy and his extremely rare Zorua nesting on his head. N conspicuously checked his watch every ten seconds. They should be starting now.

"…I think we should visit Fennel's lab next." N's ears perked up at the sound of a very familiar voice. He turned around so suddenly that Zorua nearly fell off his cap. "I'd promised Professor Juniper yesterday."

Sure enough, there was the girl that N'd encountered in Ghetsis's last speech. What was her name again? Emily? Emma? Nevertheless there she was strolling down the street with her friends - a happy peppy blonde, a rather snotty looking four-eyes, and a dark-haired boy completely zoning out of the conversation. N slid carelessly into the nearest building - an old antique store - before anyone could spot him. It wasn't like he was shy or anything, but it would be awkward to just go up and say hello to her again, especially with her entourage around.

But why did he wanted to even see her? She was just an ordinary trainer. Not to mention that she stood against everything he believed in. So what is this longing pounding against his chest? He sucked in a breath before peeking out the window. They were gone; probably went inside the restaurant.

"May I help you, sir?" N froze at the sound of the shopkeeper. He was an old Indonesian man with a beard as thick as his accent. "Would you care to look around."

"Umm…no thanks!" N forced a nervous smile up his lips while his hands frantically searched for the doorknob. In result, he nearly knocked over an eighteen century vase. "I was just leaving."

N hastily rushed out of the store before relieving his breath. For some reason he found the urge to look in further on Edna or Emma or whatever her name was. The green head fought the force that was pulling his mind apart, but it was futile. A glance wouldn't hurt, would it?

Walking casually back towards the restaurant again, N braved a peek into the darkened room. Emily and her gang were sitting at the window seat! N flushed, embarrassed but stood as still as a scarecrow. Then, his entire intestines nearly bounced out of his mouth. She saw him! N desperately pushed his baseball cap lower as if it would cover his shame. For a moment, their eyes connected like internet wires before he quickly broke contact. N took off running pass the tourists, pass the sugar daddies, and pass the little girls playing hopscotch. He didn't stop until he was at the entrance of the Dream Yard.

He huffed and puffed enough air to blow a house down, and his blood rushed like a mighty stream threatening to flood his veins out. Heart racing, sweat rolling, N sat on the hot pavement scolding his stupid brain and fantasizing over what he'd done. Why did he feel such an earning to just lay there and die?

Zorua - who had been speechless through the whole ordeal - found the sensible thing to say.

_Come on N _ he walked off as if the complete fiasco never existed. _Let's skip the Dream Yard thing and go back to the hotel. You need a rest._

**WHITE -.-**

"Are we there yet?"

"Shut up, Bianca!"

Emma rolled her eyes for what seemed like the one hundredth time. Ever since leaving the restaurant, Bianca had been a huge pain in the ass. First she complained about the triple digits in Spring, and then she whined about the distance of Fennel's lab. Cheren was no help either. Every time Bianca opened her mouth, Cheren would try to silence her. For goodness sakes! This was not the first time Bianca went annoying-brat mode. He _knew_ for a fact that trying to shut her up would only result in more ranting.

At least Jack was the quiet type. That dude had been zoning out this entire time - an ability that Emma would kill for.

Last night was weird. Wasn't it? Emma couldn't tell. Half the time she was convinced that the whole charade was all just a dream. But then she would be having a dream inside a dream. Those can happen. Somehow it's all foggy like she had just hit her head and had to piece together the puzzle image by image until she felt the urge to just hit her head again.

Although most of the night seemed like an offshore life boat on a rainy day, there was one word that shown clearly through the murky waters. _Neither._ What did he meant by that? What more was out there other than the truth? They were the anatomy of the world, and mankind lives to seek the truth. Why else would there be science, religion, or the goddamned world?!

Emma pinched her brain awake before she nearly walked headfirst into traffic. Now she could see why Jack tended to ignore the world so much. Thoughts were like an never-ending maze with confusing turns and unconditional staircases that wind around and around forever. It's so easy to get lost in the cycle.

"Are we there yet?" Bianca repeated.

"We're here!" Emma announced, much to the relief of herself and everyone around the world.

The foursome approached the door, and after some intense shoving, pushing, and struggling, Emma was nominated as the "door-knocker." Being the number one scapegoat was probably the only award she would ever win in life.

A few seconds later, a dwarf size women with wide, circular glasses and an oversized coat poked her head through the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, but are you Professor Fennel?" Emma couldn't help but smiled slightly at the women's minuscule size. Her clothes looked as if was draped over her body like a blanket rather than worn.

"Sure," the woman crossed her tiny arms. "Everyone is lining up to see Fennel these days, even girls! OMG! _Will you marry me Fennel? How about dinner? _For god sakes I'm human too, you know."

"So, I take it that you're not Fennel."

"She's upstairs," the homunculus signed. She turned to lead the way with her shoulders shagging which only made her lab coat seemed even larger. "Come on! Don't just stand there."

Professor Fennel's room was set up very similar to Juniper's. There were equipments - some operating and some dormant - scattered around the room. The spaces were quite a mess, but every single object seemed to serve a purpose in each part of the room like trees in a forest. In the center on it all stood a beautiful young woman that dazzled the room with her elegant body, and her amazing smile lit up the air around her. Finally, Emma understood why so many people purposed to her.

"Look Fennel," Emma had already forgotten that the tiny woman was with them too. "Here's another group of your admirers." In a whisper she added some unintelligent words.

"Oh, we're not…" Emma started, but Cheren was already one step ahead of her.

"Good morning m'lady," the boy announced humbly. With a flick of the wrist, Cheren took off his glasses and gazed wondrously into Professor Fennel's eyes. "How are you in this fine day."

"Come on Cheren," Bianca said irritatingly. "Get your ass back here. We have some proper business to attend to."

"Professor Juniper asked us to come here," Emma explained. "I have no idea why, but do you need help with something?"

"As a matter of fact," the woman said, pushing Cheren away gently. "I have a favor to ask of you guys. Juniper said that she was too busy to come, but she will sent a few trainers to help out. Oh, that Aurea is always coming up with excuses - just like she was back in college. Well, I guess here you are. Hi…I'm Professor Fennel, and I'm currently conducting a research on Pokémon dreams. This is Amanita. She is my roommate and the woman behind Unova's P.C. system."

"Oh!" Bianca exclaimed. She went over to Amanita. "So you get to punch buttons that makes all these beep-boo noises. I think you're adorable. _Beep-boo!_"

"It's a much more complicated system than that," Amanita stuck her nose up in the air.

"Well, I think the beautiful Fennel here already has it all figured out," Cheren asserted. "Did I tell you that you're beautiful yet?"

"_Beep-boo! Bee-boo!_" Bianca sang.

"Maybe we can dinner sometimes."

"_Beep-boo!_"

"Okay guys that is enough!" Emma cried. Her shout echoed through the enclosed space, reeling in everyone's attention like a fishing net. Suddenly, Emma felt small with everyone's eyes on her. She panicked, and her brain became nothing more than a frozen popsicle stick.

"Professor Fennel here wants our help with something," Jack reminded everyone. It was the first time he'd said something today. "What? Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"He is quite right," Professor Fennel cleared her throat. "I do need your help with something." She headed over to one of her computers. The screen flickered on when she pressed a button, revealing a small, pink Pokémon curled up in some sort of hibernating position. There were pink mists leaking out of a nozzle on its head. "This Pokémon is called a Musharna, and the pink things are called Dream Mists. I need a sample of the mist in order to dig deeper into my research. It would be a huge help if you brave trainers would go down to the Dream Yard and collect some of the Mists for me."

"Anything for the lady," Cheren responded before her sentence even finished. "I will be back before you know it."

"Just one question," Jack said. "What exactly is a Dream Mist? Is it like pink cocaine?"

"Ah…I've almost forgotten to explain that part. I'm not sure what a cocaine is though. Anyways, A few years ago, the Dream Yard used to be a facility used to research Musharna's Dream Mist for a cleaner energy source. However, due to people's evil thoughts and desires surrounding the project, Musharna was corrupted and it's Dream Mist turned black. This caused an energy overload and created a giant explosion. That was the end of the project, so the Dream Yard is now just a place where Pokémon trainers go to hang out."

"But what exactly does the Dream Mist do?" Emma asked.

"People had formulated many theories over the years to explain the properties of the matter. Some say that it can be used to influence people and Pokémon's dreams, others say that it can control a mind's subconscious, but ultimately ninety percent of the mysteries surrounding the Dream Mist have been unsolved. I hoped to make the first breakthrough."

"Thanks! We should get going before the sun gets too high. Like Cheren said, we will be back in a jiffy."

The Dream Yard wasn't really far from Fennel's house. Emma could still see the abandoned facility where the experiments took place. Signs of the explosion were still there; broken down walls, soot covered gravel, and tall grasses growing randomly around the area. Nobody was there today except for the four trainers, making the Dream Yard seemed more haunting than it actually was.

The minute they stepped into the Dream Yard, a shrill scream pierced through the morning fog like a needle. Everyone jumped slightly, and Bianca even produced a small squeal of her own. The cry didn't appeared human to Emma, and she would bet half of her allowances that the cry was from the exact Pokémon they were looking for.

Emma placed a finger upon her parched lips, motioning for the others to keep quite. Meanwhile, on her other hand, she took out the glass vial Professor Fennel had given them in departure.

Another cry, and this time it sounded extremely near. The gang squished close enough together to form a meat patty. Emma peeked through a conglomeration of bushes and directed the group's attention to where the sound came from.

There it was! But it was only a Munna. There were also two other humans there too - both dressed in some sort of Medieval Knight's outfit that looked simply outlandish. Furthermore, they were kicking the defenseless Munna! They were abusing a Pokémon!

Emma's heart flared up at the sight. Then, it sank as quickly as it rose when she realized why those thugs looked so familiar. They were the same people she'd saw in Ghetsis's speech! Was that how they liberated Pokémon? By abusing them?

"…Come on now you stupid Pokémon," the female grunt was saying. "Give us the Dream Mist."

"Yeah," said the male grunt. He had taken into slapping the Pokémon with a branch. "How are we suppose to manipulate people into releasing their Pokémon if we don't have the mist? Hand it over or else things will start to get ugly real fast."

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" Emma screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn't know where that sudden burst of bravado came from, but she knew she had to do something. All her other friends were frozen in shock, and Emma couldn't bear the sight for another second. Everyone's attentions were now on her for the second time today, but this time, Emma was too furious to be daunted. "What do you think you're doing? Leave that Pokémon alone this instant!"

"Crap," cursed the male grunt. "I hate nosy trainers."

The two grunts in Medieval outfits seemed to have communicated with their minds because in a split second, they took off running, dragging the Munna along with them.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Bianca cried. "You can get hurt!"

But she was too late, for Emma was already halfway across the field. Her sneakers pound to the beat of her heart. Blades of wind struck at her lungs, sweat rolled down her forehead like rain, yet she kept running. She didn't know why she felt so reckless, or where this gallant side of her came from, but she did know that she didn't ran around the park everyday for nothing.

Suddenly, her legs stopped moving, but her adrenaline kept pumping . Emma glanced back and saw that her friends probably lost her, and the grunts were nowhere in sight either.

Rather unexpectedly, someone placed a hand on her sweaty shoulders. Emma spun around in lightning speed. Had the grunts managed to snuck behind her? Luckily, it was only Jack (how did he manage to catch up with her? She was considered extremely fast for her age). He made a shushing noise and motioned for her to settle down. Only then did Emma noticed how tense her muscles were,

After her breathing had relaxed slightly, Jack gestured for her to look through the column of tall grass to her right. There, clear as day, were the two thugs and the kidnapped Munna. They both seemed to have been running hard also.

"I think that is quite enough," Emma announced as she stepped out of the undergrowth. "Release that Pokémon this instance."

"Emma, be careful," Jack whispered. "We don't know what these people are capable of."

"Stop interfering with our work you stupid children," the woman scowled. "Or else you will pay dearly for this insolence."

"My Patrat is certainly hungry for a bite of brats," the man warned.

"If you want to settle this over a battle," Emma said. "We will crush you."

The two thugs scowled and summoned their Pokémon: a Patrat and a Purrloin. Emma summoned her Oshawott without hesitation, but it took Jack a little more convincing to battle. Even then, he was still murmuring about how stupid this system was.

"Purrloin, use Scratch!" Commanded Grunt 1.

"Patrat, use Bite!" Shouted Grunt 2.

"Pawniard, counter them with Feint Attack."

"Oshawott, soak them with Water Gun."

The two grunts' Pokémon leaped into action; Patrat baring his fearsome fangs, and Purrloin sharpening her dangerous claws. In a flash, Pawniard was gone. No one knew where he went. It seemed as if he was just consumed by the shadows of the trees. Suddenly, when the two opposing Pokémon least expected it, he snuck up behind them to deliver a backbreaking kick, launching them into the air.

Unfortunately for the dark type, Oshawott didn't expect that to happen, so her Water Gun ended up hitting Pawniard instead. The dark type was thrown across the field.

"Hey, watch where you are aiming!" Jack exclaimed. Luckily, Pawniard was only slightly dazed.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," Emma said.

"Never mind, Pawniard, come back around with Fury Cutter."

"Oshawott, attack with Focus Energy!"

Both Pokémon charged at their opponents. Pawniard had his blade-like arms slashing wildly, and Oshawott with her entire body glowing in red. In the last possible moment, Purrloin and Patrat rolled to the side dodging the attempts completely. But the two attackers weren't so lucky. They didn't expect the sudden change of plan, so they ended up clashing against each other instead.

There was a brilliant white flash, and both Pokémon were scrawled on the grass, unable to continue the fight.

The female grunt was the first to burst out laughing. Then the male grunt followed the suit, and pretty soon, they were both rolling over on their backs howling with laughter. They didn't even notice the negative energy burning bright on the other team's trainers.

"Bra-ha-ha-ha!" bellowed Grunt 1. "I can't believe they took out themselves! Beginners, obviously."

"Yep," agreed Grunt 2. "They didn't even know what teamwork means."

"Now if you idiots would excuse us, we would like to leave with the Munna."

Emma didn't know what to say. Sure, she and Jack didn't have much in common, but are they really that bad of a team? It appears so. Emma couldn't tell what the other boy was thinking, for his face was hidden in the shadows.

"You should really get good," the man was boasting. He picked up the frightened Munna. "See you later, losers."

"Maybe we don't need to get good," Jack spoke in a barely audible voice. "Maybe we just need to get you."

"What in the hell's name are you talking ab-"

But the male grunt didn't get to finish his question because Jack was on him in like white on rice in less than a second. The thug was pushed to the ground while Jack landed his first punch on the nose. Emma and the woman stood there in shock. They didn't know what to do or even how to react.

A few years later, Emma would recall this as one of the funniest experiences of her life, but she couldn't remember much of what happened. All she could recalled was that at some point the female grunt tried to help her partner, and Emma jumped in to assist Jack. The rest was pretty much a blur. Well, there were a lot of fists locking on jaw, and also hair pulling - a tremendous amount of hair pulling - and at some point, someone kneed her hard on the shins.

"What do you think you are doing?" a voice thundered through the Dream Yard. The voice was so powerful, it made everybody stop and scrambled up. "You two, leave this instant."

A rather tall and imposing man stroll through the field with a stern, adamant expression. The mist seemed to grew thicker in the atmosphere around him which only made his sudden appearance more impressive. Emma immediately recognized him as Ghetsis - the man who'd cause all the chaos in the first place. Anger and hate flooded every part of her veins, and all she wanted to do was seize the man by the cuffs of his stupid robe and demand for an explanation to his inhumane actions.

The two Team Plasma members bowed their heads and ran away quickly. One of them was murmuring about how weird it was for their master to sent them off without completing their mission. They were in such a hurry, they'd forgotten all about the Munna.

When the two thugs were out of sight, Emma gasped in surprise. The Mist around Ghetsis grew thicker and thicker until it envelopes him whole like a beast swallowing its prey. Emerging from the mist was none other than Musharna. Finally, the gears begun to click in Emma's head.

"Are you guys alright?"

Bianca had just emerged from the undergrowth along with Cheren and Professor Fennel. In less than a second, she had zoomed over to the fallen Munna.

Emma inspected herself for injuries. Besides grass stains on her pants, a few scrapes on her elbows, and slightly messed up hair, she was alright. Jack, on the other hand, sustained more conspicuous injuries. Sometime in the brawl, he was given a bloody nose, a black eye, and someone seemed to have dug their extremely long nails into his left arm. Despite the casualties of the fight, Emma found it extremely amusing.

"I'm so sorry," said Professor Fennel, burying her face inside her hands. "It's my fault that you guys got hurt. Cheren and Bianca came to me as soon as possible and told me what happened. We came here as quickly as we could."

"We need to patch them up," Cheren said. He gave Emma a we-will-discuss-this-later look. "They are hurt."

"We're fine," Emma assured. "But that Munna needs some serious attention."

"But you guys held them off," Bianca said positively. "I can't believe you guys are that good. It's must've taken some serious skills."

For some reason, Bianca's last comment made Emma laughed. She tried to keep it in, but it was hopeless. Pretty soon, she was rolling on the grass in merit. Everyone stared at her, wondering if she had a concussion. Then, Jack joined in, and both of them laid sprawling on the grass roaring in laughter. The air was filled with the frolics of their inside joke. Skills? Ha! Emma laughed even louder.

* * *

**Told ya! Ordinary chapter ~**

**I'm have a little trouble with time frame issues. Seven chapters and it's only day number 2. lol. I will try to fix these problems in the next chapter.**

**I still taking a few classes, but the most important thing in my life right now is this fanfiction. It's the only way I know that I'm contributing to the world and my future, so your reviews and stuff are really important.**

**Next chapter will probably be up at the end of this month or the beginning of the next**.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	9. Chapter 8: The Second Great War Begins

**I'm so happy that this chapter is finished. Summer has reached its full height, and I've been trying to squeeze in as much community service hours as possible. Did four hours so far, and it's really boring and tiring. Haha, I've also been spending a lot of time playing video games and watching reruns of shows that usually air in the fall.**

**This chapter is rather boring to those of you who likes to stick to the game's plot. Tbh I don't even know what the heck I'm doing half way through. Here is another message: JACK'S DRINKING HABITS DOES NOT REFLECT UPON MY OWN! Don't even ask, like, it's just a funny joke that I now regret.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Eight: The Second Great War Begins

**GRAY O.O**

The week went by in a blur.

After they'd returned to Fennel's house, the Professor herself patched them up quite nicely. Jack's nosebleed had stopped, but it would take a bit longer for his other injuries to heal. Already, his black eye was fading.

Professor Fennel had invited them for lunch, and Cheren hopped on board without question. They spend the rest of the day with the Professor as she helped them train for the next Gym. Her roommate Amanita also gave Jack and Emma some useful advice on how to communicate with their partners during a team battle.

The next day, Bianca volunteered to go back to the Dream Yard to collect the Dream Mist. She came back with the bottle full and her face lit with excitement.

"Guess what?" She grinned widely and told her story to anyone who would listen. "I went back to the same field where we'd first spotted the Munna and it (I mean he) was still there. He actually recognized me and had agreed to be my Pokémon! I can't believe it! I have a physic-type Pokémon in my team now."

"Shut up, Bianca," Cheren grumbled.

And so the week went by without any further incidents. No Team Plasma grunts showed up, and no Pokémon had been kicked as far as they knew. From sun rise to sun set, the group would go over to the Dream Yard to practice techniques and sharpen skills. Cheren made some excuses at times and didn't join their training process, but Jack didn't give that much thought. Chances were he was spending every quality time he could sneak with Professor Fennel before their inevitable departure. Sometimes, they would even stop by Professor Fennel's house to see her experiments. So far, they had no such luck.

"When are you going to start making things explode?" Bianca asked impatiently on their fifth visit.

"Well, I don't suppose it will happen anytime soon," Professor Fennel answered. "I still need to wait for my test results to be delivered. Then I'm going to read up more about these particular matters."

She held out a thick book titled _Properties and Compounds_ that wiped any signs of anticipation from Bianca's face.

Ten days came and went in a caricature of fun like Jack had never experienced before, and the group had decided to move on. Just as they were checking out of their rooms in the Pokémon Center, Professor Fennel called them to her house for a big surprise.

"What is it! What is it!" Bianca squeaked.

"Calm down, Bianca," Professor Fennel said, blushing slightly. "I'm actually kind of embarrassed right now." She held out three pokéballs. "I've got here three of the elemental monkeys. Pansear, Panpour, and Pansage. But the problem is that I've only got three. I had prepare this as a thank you present when Professor first said that she would sent some trainers over to help. Unfortunately, she said that she would sent _three _trainers, not four."

"Oh yes," Cheren said, pushing up his glasses and looking over at Jack. "Professor Juniper didn't even know that Jack was coming until the day she passed out the Pokémon. Speaking of which, how -?"

"It's okay, Professor Fennel," Jack said, cutting Cheren off before he could voice further suspicions. It was better for them not to ask at all then for him to make up some answers, but it didn't matter much anymore. He'd learned enough about this world to not look so out of place. "They can choose between themselves. I will stay out of it."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked. She and Cheren seemed to be the smarter ones, but then Jack would've preferred it if they remained as oblivious as Bianca. "You only have one Pokémon while Bianca, Cheren, and I have two already."

"No, no, it's fine," Jack said a bit too quickly. "It's my fault that my parents…ah…didn't…um…register our records earlier." It came out more like a question rather than a statement. "I also have other Pokémon in mind."

To Jack's immense relief, everyone laid off him for the time being and rushed over to chose their Pokémon.

"I'm going to take Pansear," Emma announced first. "Since it would cover up my Oshawott's weakness."

"Excellent choice Emma!" Professor Fennel nodded. Cheren and Bianca followed her lead and chose the Pokémon that would cover their own starter's weakness.

"Well, I guess we should be going now," Bianca shrugged. She gave the woman a big hug. "That you for the Pokémon."

"No, it is I who should be thanking you four. With your help, my research will be able to reach new heights. Take care now. You guys are always welcome in my house."

"Bye!" the children chorused before climbing down the stairs and exiting the town.

The group separated once again in Route 3, agreeing to meet up in the next town's Pokémon Center when they get there. Cheren and Emma went to catch more Pokémon, Bianca decided to visit the daycare center ("Complete waste of time," Cheren said), and Jack decided to work on certain commands with Pawniard.

After a while of aimless wandering, Jack came across a cave called Wellspring Cave that was surrounded by inordinate fields of tall grasses and rocky terrains. Jack soon found that climbing the rocky surfaces were not so different from climbing down windows, which he had done on several occasions. The interior of the cave wasn't very dark, but Jack produced his own flashlight nevertheless. A part of the cave was eroded by rain to form a small pond and limits people from going to the other side. The new environment could do his Pokémon some good. _Oh god,_ Jack thought amusingly._ Now I'm even _thinking_ like a stupid trainer. A week here must've knocked some senses out of me_.

Pawniard was happy to be out of his pokéball and eager to try out the new environment. Jack scanned the cave with his Pokédex. There were Woobats and Roggenrolas everywhere, and Jack challenged them one by one to battle.

In the beginning, Pawniard had a hard time adapting to the rocks and stones everywhere. Rocks didn't exactly offer a soft landing like grassy fields, but Pawniard soon learned to dodge attacks behind the stones and even use to muddy water to his advantage. Jack also urged Pawniard to practice a move called Scary Face (he still wasn't able to fully master the move yet), which was useful against opponents faster than him. The Woobats offered a bonus challenge for Pawniard to block physic moves although the dark-type seemed to be immune to those anyways. In the end, Jack caught a Woobat for his team. She could be used to cover Pawniard's weaknesses.

While fine tuning Scary Face again with Pawniard, Jack found his mind wandering to the event at Dream Yard. Okay, those thugs in weird uniforms seemed to be the major problem in Unova, but Jack couldn't help but doubt that they were the real reason he's here. There seemed to be something bigger at play here, and his weird dream last week confirmed that theory. Yes, Team Plasma plays a role in this, but there was a bigger man behind the curtain. What was their motive again? To liberate Pokémon?

Just when Jack was about stop for lunch, a distant shout caught his attention. He peeked out of Wellspring Cave's entrance and saw what seemed to be a cat and mouse game between Emma, Cheren, Bianca, and three men dressed in some freakish uniforms. There they were again! In a matter of a week Jack had spotted five lawbreakers on the loose. This world must have either the poorest security or the best criminals.

"Pawniard, how about that Scary Face again?" Jack said lamely when he saw the grunts heading their way. Preposterous! Delusional! Why did he even bother stepping in. Don't they have a gun or something? He could be dead within seconds! "Let's see how far we've come on this move."

Pawniard shut his eyes in concentration and began to draw strength from wherever he kept those supernatural powers. A phantasmagorical mirage extracted itself from his body, and projected a alarming figure in to the mouth of the cave. _The_ _quality could use a little adjustment_, Jack thought. _But the frame rate seemed okay._

Probably thinking that the cave would be a good place to lose their pursuers, the three thugs ran headfirst into Pawniard's Scary Face. One of the grunts noticed it straight away and jumped back in fear, unknowingly landing on his partners. The scene would've looked hilarious if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Damn you trainers," snared one of the grunts. He and the others were already back on their feet.

"Out of our way!" said another. All of them threw their pokéballs into the air, and three Patrats emerged looking as fierce as ever.

"Come on, Woobat," Jack sighed. Although he sounded confident, he was biting the bottom of his lips, and in the back of his mind, the thought "_Why do I always get myself into these situations"_ ran repeatedly over and over again. He was outnumbered ever so slightly.

"Patrat, use Bite," all three grunts chorused and their Pokémon went into the offensive.

"Goddamn it," Jack cursed, but whining and complaining wasn't going to stop three charging rodents. "Um…Woobat, use Gust, and Pawniard, use Torment."

"Woo!" said Woobat excitedly. He was ready to begin his first fight with his new master. Jack just hoped that he wouldn't be too disappointed when they get overwhelmed by Alvin and the Chipmunks.

A great gust of wind appeared as the bat-like Pokémon flapped its wings harder. There were shouts of frustration as the Patrats were pushed back by the relentless gust. Pawniard took the chance to use Torment, which rendered the move Bite useless. _Well that worked_, Jack thought amusingly. _We can take them._

"Come on guys," one of the Grunts' shout ranged above the roaring wind. "There is just one freaking trainer. Divide his Pokémon apart and this will be easy."

All Jack wanted to do then was stuff a drain pipe down that guy's throat. He just _had_ to be the divergent thinker there. Why couldn't he just shut his hole and look dumb like the others? Now the three Pokémon were circling Jack like vultures, waiting to take their prey. This was way worst than being cornered in the back of an alley by cops because there was always a fire escape to climb on, but the Patrats have already surrounded him, and there was no escape except…

"Aha!"

A shrill little squeal stopped everyone in their tracks. Jack had never been so happy to hear the annoying voice of one blonde in the world. Bianca arrived at the mouth of the entrance along with Emma, Cheren, and a teary eyed girl who looked like any other average preschooler.

"Hand back her Pokémon," Emma said forcefully. Jack had never really understood Emma's assertive personality, which he thought of as narcissistic and awfully loud, but it wasn't until then that he fully appreciated her confident aura and her constant urge to stick her nose in other people's businesses. It was because she wanted to help others and get her say of what she thought was right - a trait that Jack never knew he would admire in someone. "Who the hell do you think you are? Abusing Pokémon is enough already, but actually stealing from a child? That is way below the belt, even for rascals like you."

The three Grunts exchanged worry looks. Now, it was their turn to be outnumbered. Luckily, the lead grunt - the one that seemed to at least have a brain - spoke for his gang.

"Is this the Pokémon you want?" the man jeered, holding up a small, red and white sphere. The little girl nodded, slightly startled at the fact that he had addressed her directly. "I hate to see people like you…ah…what should I say…_abusing the privilege_…of _owning_ these free creature. Need I remind you that the plan for liberation is already in place?"

"That delusional movement lead by Ghetsis, your so-called master?" Cheren said, walking forward but keeping his distance. Jack had by no means seen him so angry before, not even when Emma declared the Pokémon catching game a tie. "You are going to prison, all of you!"

"Ha!" snarled another grunt. "What makes you say that? It's you who will be landing a one way trip to jail once the new order has been in place."

"New order?" Emma took a step forward. "What do you mean 'new order?'"

The first grunt glared at the one that just spoke. They had already said too much.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" the first grunt said. "If you're any smarter, then you should've stay the hell away from our business. We're not going to go to jail today, I'm afraid." A nasty grin appeared on his face. He held out the stolen pokéball victoriously. "If you want it, then go get it!"

With one swift throw, the pokéball was launched into the water before anyone else could react. Then, there was panic. The young girl bawled, producing enough tears to kettle a cup of tea while Bianca placated her, Emma rushed to save the pokéball, and Jack stood frozen, trying to digest what he'd heard. Taking advantage of the confusing, the Team Plasma gang made a dash for the entrance. Cheren looked as if he was about to run after them, but thought better of it.

"Oshawott, grab that pokéball!" Emma commanded. "Don't let it slip away!"

The water-type leaped from Emma's shoulders and dived into the water. Everyone held their breathes as she went under as if they were taking the dive instead of her. After a strangling minute, Oshawott emerged safe and sound with the stolen pokéball.

"I will escort her back to the preschool," Bianca announced once the girl was safely reunited with her Pokémon. "I don't want those idiots messing with her again."

"Yes, great idea," Cheren agreed. "We should camp here for the night. Emma and Jack, you guys can help with the tents."

For a moment there, his eyes dropped, and it was then that it became apparent to Jack that he had been lacking sleep. Black circles formed beneath his eyes like shades, giving him a rather old and tired look. It had never came across Jack's mind how aware everyone was about the situation at hand. He wasn't the only one that was meant to play a part in this; everyone had been putting in their efforts and filling in the gaps with their own puzzle pieces and placing their own layers of cement, carefully but vigorously laboring for the outcome.

Whatever was going on, whatever that was happening to this world, Jack felt a new sense of responsibility to his part. Why did I even care, he had asked so many times. But the truth was that he did care, and that feeling kept growing every single second he spends in this world.  
"Why" was the question truth seekers asked everyday in their lives. Unfortunately, it's the question that remained unanswered to this day.

From then on Jack knew that his questions will forever remain unanswered, but he didn't care. It's the journey and the experience that mattered most.

**WHITE -.-**

They set up camp in Wellspring Cave.

The sun has sunk below the horizon and the stars materialized on the sky once again as if they were just part of a magician's illusion where one object had to disappear in order for another to appear. Wellspring Cave was quiet, and the only source of light came from a dim lamp that Cheren had dug out of his basement.

Emma had a tiresome day. She and Cheren both added a flying-type Pidove to their teams, one of which gave them a dreadful pecking before he could be tamed. And then there was the Team Plasma grunts. They are idiots, that's for sure. They are retarded jerks and a huge pain in the behind. They always screw up a perfectly pleasant day and even thinking about them wiped the smile off Emma's face.

Everyone was asleep except for Emma, who laid wide awake in her tent, staring at the curtains above her head, becoming more and more restless by the second. So many thoughts were running through her brain that even the train of thoughts couldn't carry her load. They were mostly about Team Plasma but she did indulge herself in the pleasure of planning for the next gym.

Emma blinked and saw a shadow flickered across her vision. She leveled herself up slowly and consciously. If those thugs decided to come back, she would be ready. Instead, she heard movement in the next tent. She looked over at Cheren's tent and saw a flashlight being switched on. The boy's silhouette moved around rapidly like a dancing circus animal. Emma heard shuffling, a lock being opened, and papers being ruffled through.

Since she couldn't sleep anyways, Emma wandered over to her friend, hoping that he could provide some company.

"Hey," Emma whispered. The silhouette stopped and glanced up, as if it was caught doing something it shouldn't. "May I come in?"

There was a pause and then came an answer. "Sure, just be careful not to step on any of the papers, please."

"Cheren," Emma said once she got inside. The space was a compilation of newspapers, reports, and a neat little sleeping bag in the corner. "You've got to rest. I heard you sneaking off yesterday, too." Emma sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hands. "I know you feel like you need to catch them, but it will do you no good if you don't rest."

"Didn't you hear them, Emma," Cheren said without looking at her. "They have a plan, they are cunning, and I want to know what they are planning."

Emma sat down adamantly besides her friend, and once he realized that she wasn't bulging, he discarded his work to one side.

"Look, Cheren…" Emma began.

"No, you look, Emma," Cheren's anger exploded like a balloon. "What those people are doing is wrong! I'm this close to uncovering another lead."

"You are not the only one, okay?" Emma's patient was also wearing thin. "I want to catch them just as bad as you do."

"But the police aren't even looking into this. I told them about the Dream Yard a few days ago, but they said that I have no evidence. I need to collect a case against them and catch them in the act."

Emma paused and a flipped through a pile of newspaper, some of which were extremely old. The pages were yellow, and the black and white photographs stared back at her with their hollow eyes. How lifeless they seemed, and yet they were once so alive.

"How old are we?" Emma asked suddenly.

Cheren looked stunned at the question. "Sixteen…but…"

"Are we friends?"

"Sure…I guess?"

"How long have we known each other? Six freaking years. I have your back, and I need to know if you can trust me too."

"Emma, I…"

"Clean this mess up right now," Emma commanded, but there was a soft, humorous side to the words. "I want you do go to bed and stop exhausting yourself over the likes of them."

Finally, Cheren relented. "Wow," he laughed as he packed up all the papers. "Six freaking years and you're still a bossy little bitch."

"And you're still a hotheaded know-it-all."

Both teens grin as if they were sharing a small inside joke that only each other understood. Outside, the Woobats took flight into the moonless night in search of food, screeching excitedly in the process. In the dimmed lamp light, Emma once again got a glance at her friend's restless face, but it no longer looked as tired as it had been before. In fact, Cheren looked slightly refreshed even though it was terribly past their bedtime.

Emma left the tent happily with the knowledge that it didn't matter if there was a dilemma as humongous as a skyscraper standing between Team Plasma and justice, in the end, she could always rely on her friends.

Behind her, the light in Cheren's tent snuffed out.

**BLACK ^.^**

The light was like a newborn baby. Sometimes it flickered out only to be reawakened again, and N's body would once again became apparent through the shadows.

Nacrene City was asleep. Buildings were covered in a blanket of darkness, and the streets belonged to the howling ghost of wind and dust. In the distance, the Pokémon Center's red roof became the only source of light in its street, and not far from it stood the Nacrene Museum, doors locked and secured for the night.

Suddenly, N felt a presence behind him. He turned around quickly, only to come face to face with his godfather Ghetsis. They had arranged to meet outside of Team Plasma's safe house in Nacrene City - which was the shabby apartment building behind them - to discuss the next stage of their plan.

"Hello, N," Ghetsis spoke first. His voice was mixed with the sizzling pop of the street lamp above, making him sound like a haunted spectral being rasping from its grave. "Are you ready for our…heist tomorrow night."

"Ghetsis," N breathed. Deep inside was something he had been holding in - something enigmatic that needed reassurance from the person he trusted most. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there at the Dream Yard. Maybe we could've gotten the Dream Mist if I was there to stop those nosy trainers…."

The man raised his hand to stop him. "It's alright," said the godfather. "We'll get the mist soon enough. It's our next mission that we have to worry about."

"But still, those bullies beat Cassidy and Craig up pretty badly."

"Now, now, N" Ghetsis said patiently. "We've discussed this before. There are those whom will criticize our plan because their minds are too adapted to the old world to accept our ideals. We must make them see…in a nonviolent way…that our vision will bring forth a new era of peace and harmony where both parties - human and Pokémon - will be free and happy. But I assume that you have much on your mind as it is."

For a moment, N thought Ghetsis had somehow found out about his embarrassing episode in the Gym Leader's café. His mind had a brief panic attack before he realized what his godfather meant.

"Oh…um…yes!" N said a bit too quickly (even for his pace). "He hadn't contacted me at all for a while now. It was just that one night, and that was it."

"Ah…" sighed Ghetsis calmly as if he knew what was going to happen all along. "Unfortunately, he probably won't for a while. But there is something in this city we must get our hands on no matter how much…um …'laws' we will have to break."

A car's head light came zooming their way. Both Team Plasma leaders stopped talking while the red Toyota filled with drunk, singing teenagers sped past them without as second glance. They waited until the car's prehistoric engine faded away down a couple of blocks before they resumed their conversation.

"Yeah, about that," N nervously scratched at his own nails. "I'm…I'm having second thoughts about this heist." He stopped to watch his godfather's reaction. Ghetsis's face remained patient and emotionless. "I'm not sure what we're doing is right. I mean, we are stealing and breaking the law, and we're practically criminals."

For a second, annoyance flickered across Ghetsis's peaceful and loving face, and then died out as quickly as it appeared.

"They don't understand us, N. Those…law officers…are afraid of us - afraid of what is coming. Every great leader and every great revolution needs to start from somewhere. And if there's going to be a war then so be it. Sacrifices have to be made in order for our world to start anew. I just want to know: will you stand beside me as we lead the way for greater good?"

N felt his eyes swell with tears. His godfather had always been a gifted speaker. His life had been built upon the very ideals that he sought to execute, and he would not back down now.

"Yes," N said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I will stand besides you…for the greater good of man and Pokémon."

"Thank you, N," Ghetsis smiled. He raised both of his hands and announced loudly and boldly "LET THE SECOND GREAT WAR BEGIN!"

The empty streets carried along the crackles of his manic laughter.

* * *

**I really appreciate that you guys came this far into the story. I've planned an epic chapter ahead so keep in check! I hope it will be really action packed and exciting. I also hope that this chapter fixes the time frame issue. Next gym is coming up.**

**Please Favorite, Follow, and review!**

**Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 9: Destiny Calling

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**Recently, I've been working on my first Harry Potter Fan fiction called _Daniel Astor: The Age of Abaddon. _****It is pretty cool, I think. The story features a completely new cast of characters with some of the original crew and takes place in an alternative dimension where Harry Potter, Voldemort, etc. doesn't exist. The problems the characters faces would be nothing like in the Harry Potter series, and I will explore more of the unexplained secrets only briefly mentioned in J.K. Rowling's books. Anyways, I will be taking the first person point of view. The goal is to take readers on a magical journey that just might bring them closer to home than they imagined.**

** The reason I advertised that was because I don't have much people reading that story according to my traffic graph. I just hope some of you guys will give that story a try. You can either search for the title in Fanfiction. net or scroll down my profile to read it. Chapter 3 is coming out and I really hope you guys will Favorite, Follow, or simply Review my latest work. Thanks :)**

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**So, here is the epic Gym battle I'd promised. I know I haven't really wrote about Pokemon and battles much, but this story is meant to focus more on friendship and the human nature in general. Emma pretty much owns this chapter and we'll see how this Gym Battle goes!**

**Summer is almost over for me and I'm starting High School next year. Can't say if I'm elated or gassy, but I'm somewhere in that zone lol. I'm unsure of how much time I would have to work on this, especially with a second Fanfiction pending.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

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POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Nine: Destiny Calling

**WHITE -.-**

The next morning, Emma White had her first outdoor experience, which thanks to Cheren, was a complete fiasco.

It'd started out fine with a small manmade fire, sausages, and Bianca's bag of jumbo size marshmallows. Cheren had refused to even touch the food for the fear of having worms procreating in his intestines, and the wild berries hardly helped the situation. Then, there was the lecture about fire hazards, and even Jack agreed that they should really put that fire out before they burned the whole cave down.

In the end, it was just a bunch teenagers gathered around a pile of burned branches munching on cold sausages and marshmallows. Emma made a mental note to purchase pre-made sandwiches for their next expedition.

"Umm…guys?" Bianca moaned. Her face flushed red behind a wall of sickening green hue. "I don't think the jumbo marshmallows are agreeing with me. Where can I…you know…_go_?"

"There is a small bush outside the cave," Jack grumbled. His jet-black hair was like an untamed animal in the morning. "You can tell your Tepig to burn it afterwards."

"What?" Cheren exclaimed. "That is disgusting."

"Do you have a much better idea?" Jack countered. "Maybe she could borrow a Kleenex from your germaphobe gear case."

"Maybe I'll just hold it in," Bianca groaned.

"Suit yourself," Jack shrugged. "I've got to take a wiss, too. See you in a sec. Bianca, I might need to burrow Tepig for this…"

Ten minutes later, Bianca excused herself from the group, and Jack gave her a meaningful look when she came back with a new kind of sick expression on her face. Eventually, everyone admitted that they had to go, and badly at that. It wasn't the kind of camping experience Emma had in mind, but it is would be a pretty hilarious story to tell afterwards.

Nacrene City came into view just when the sun reached its ultimate height in the sky. Their first destination was the Pokémon Center. Not only did their Pokémon need a break, their trainers were pretty exhausted too, and Emma longed for a hot shower and a change of clothes. After she was finished with her work (taking her Pokémon from Nurse Joy, feeding her Pokémon, feeding _herself_, settling into her new room, etc.) she dozed off the second her head struck the pillow. Everything felt more softer than usual.…

"Emma," A dull voice jolted Emma out of her doze. It was Cheren pounding restlessly on her door. "Are you dead in there?"

"Still here, dumbass," Emma groaned. "Why are you knocking at my door in this ungodly hour?"

"It's 6 p.m. in the afternoon," Cheren replied. Even with the door separating them, Emma could feel his eyes rolling. "We're going to get a bite to eat and then head down to the gym. Are you up for it?"

"Sure, just let me put on some clothes and I'll meet you there."

"Why are you naked at six in the afternoon?"

On the other side, Cheren felt a pillow crashing against the door.

Everyone was assembled in the lobby. It had drawn to Emma how peaceful it was. There was just her and a bunch of friends, crowding around a small table with ketchup spread artistically around their mouths like one those Jackson Pollock paintings, confusing but beautiful in a way Emma couldn't begin to describe. It was like an road trip, but there were no adults there, just a bunch of teenagers having the time of their lives. Weird, but Emma couldn't have asked for anything more.

Over in the next table, Emma saw another group of trainers, packed tightly together like sandwiches, carelessly whispering and laughing at their own jokes. For all her life, Emma had been dragged town to town, region to region behind her mother's red heels, and now she was moving again, but this time it was different. This time she was not angry, repugnant, or even mournful of traveling because for the first time in forever, she had everyone and everything she needed with her for the journey ahead. She didn't mean to sound selfish, but she still welcomed the benevolent happiness, and a dainty little part in her head just wanted to fly and with her unshackled wings that were free from the pain of the past.

Cheren finished his vegetarian burger first (those were kind of good, but Emma doubt she would be properly full without protein) and begun lecturing them about the next gym. The Nacrene Museum hosted the battles, which were lead by the museum director Lenora. This gym also specialized in normal-type Pokémon, which were weak against fighting-types. Since none of them have a fighting-type, that information was pretty much useless.

"How about a tour of the museum first?" Bianca suggested. "I heard that they keep real Pokémon bones there!"

"Really?" Emma pouted. "I was hoping to hit the gym first, just to get the adrenaline out of the way."

"Great idea," Cheren said. "Emma, why don't you go ahead and have your battle while the rest of us tours the museum first. I think it's free, but have your money out just in case."

Cheren stood up and left abruptly, followed tightly behind by Jack and Bianca. Emma made a notion to run after them, but decided against it. Somehow, she had been overruled once again. The trainer finished her dinner slowly and carefully, for she did not want her stomach to cramp in the middle of the fight. She then gave her Pokémon a onceover. She was two weeks into her journey and had already obtained four Pokémon. If she had to, she could tank through the next gym without much effort in her part.

A light shower of rain drizzled softly on her head as Emma stepped out of the Pokémon Center. It was nothing serious, just a gentle touch of mother nature's wild weather. Humming a small Beethoven piece over and over in her head, Emma skipped excitingly into the Nacrene Museum without getting too wet. Outside, the rain intensified slightly, barely noticeable in the moonless night.

Inside the museum, Emma was pounced by an unbelievably tall black woman with a pink apron. Her voice was extremely high but well intoned, not much like a screechy chalkboard as Emma imagined by her first impression.

"Oh dear!" the woman said. "Thank goodness you came just in time, or else you would've been soaked. Wouldn't want a wet dog in here, would we?"

"Excuse me," Emma said pleasantly. From habit, Emma's voice would adopt a shy quality to it - quite unlike her usual, more assertive kind - when talking to strangers. It was her way of introducing herself and letting others underestimate her strength. "Do you know where I can find the Gym Leader of Nacrene City? I am here to earn my second badge."

"Well, look no further," the woman bloomed. He aqua green hair twitched like a bushy tail. "You're looking at her. My name is Lenora, the director and Gym Leader here, and what might your name be?"

"Emma White."

"Emma, what a wonderful name!" Lenora exclaimed, clasping Emma so hard on the shoulders that the trainer doubt she would be able to swing her arms right again. "Let me lead you to the Gym so our battle can begin."

The woman left one of her iron hands clasped upon Emma's shoulders as they made their way through the building. The Nacrene Museum showcased many of Unova's most historical treasures like rare Pokémon fossils and meteorites. Despite all the amazing possessions in here, what profoundly caught Emma's attention the most was a small, inconspicuous glass case. Actually, it didn't only _caught _her attention, it practically dragged her entire body towards the casing. Resting upon a gentle cushion was a rock as white as feathers. It looked like a child laying calmly in a small cloud of daintiness.

Emma blinked and tried to look away, but she couldn't. It was as if someone was besides her, forcing her head to look at the direction of the stone. Emma's heart thumped heavily against her ribcage. For a moment, that was all she heard - this propelling call that forced her closer and closer to the rock. Then her goggling eyes jerked violently closer, her nose almost pressing upon the glass. It was glowing red as if it could spring to life any second now. Her eyes reflected upon the red glow, giving her a menacing animal look. A demanding howl in her head screamed at her to break into that case and grab the white stone.

"Yes, this is the Light Stone, dear," Lenora said, breaking the wire that took over Emma's brain. "It is one of our most precious artifacts in the museum, and I believe it has a brother out there somewhere called the Dark Stone, but we've only uncovered one so far. Legend has it that they are the dormant forms of the dragons Reshiram and Zekrom. Just don't touch it, sweetie."

"Interesting," Emma said nonchalantly. She didn't know what had just gotten into her. "What does the legend say about them turning back?"

"Well," Lenora said, biting her bottom lip impatiently. "Legend has it that only the Two Heroes can revive the dragons within the stone. They were to be called upon by their masters, so they can either bring truth or ideals into Unova and rule it eternally."

"And who are these 'Two Heroes'?"

"The Two Heroes only appear every thousand year, and they were chosen by the dragons to take on the task ahead. Of course what the heroes do with the power is completely their decision. They can choose whether to destroy or save Unova. And the legend states that about one thousand years ago, two brothers were chosen for the task, but they eventually turned against each other. A great war raged on for decades until the two brothers were ripped apart by their own beliefs, and the dragons were put into slumber until their next masters comes along."

"Well, the stone does look pretty," Emma murmured, casting one last glance at the supposed dormant dragon rocks. "Let's get to the battle, shall we? I hate to store in all this adrenaline."

"Alright then, follow me."

They soon came upon a locked door at the back of the museum. Strangely, Emma never quite shook off the effect of the rock. It felt as if it was still calling out to her, demanding her to run back and smash the prison in which it was caged in.

Emma's attention shifted once again when she and Lenora emerged into a world class battle field she had only seen a few times on television. The young trainer inhaled the earth scented air. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Wow," Emma let out a Bianca-like squeal and rushed to one side of the battlefield. Sure, this wasn't exactly her first gym battle, but the last one was conducted in the back of a restaurant, never in such brilliance or authority. There was a great earthy plain before her in which small rocks and pebbles scattered around the face like pimples. The arena was flat and rectangular shaped, kind of looked like they were battling on top of a giant toast.

Lenora sighed happily and readied herself on the other side, her humongous figure still looked larger than Emma in the distance. A referee appeared, announcing the proper protocols before the match. Then, the highly anticipated whistle sound, and Emma and Lenora both summoned their fist Pokémon with gusto.

The Gym Leader's first choice was a sturdy looking Herdier. She came on to the field in one loud bark. Emma had decided to use her new Pidove, a flying-type that would surely confound a flightless dog.

"Confuse your opponent with Gust!" Emma shouted.

Pidove made the first move. He gathered up a great gust of wind by flapping his wings ardently, blowing bits and pieces of pebbles at the Herdier. The normal-type stood patiently, waiting for her master to make her move.

"Now, Quick Attack! Then use Gust once more."

The Pidove darted at Herdier faster than the speed of sound. In a flash, he was able to knock the opposing Pokémon down. There was no resistance whatsoever from the Herdier, she just let herself be carried along with the wind.

"You had your shot," Lenora teased. "Herdier use Retaliate."

To Emma's surprise, Herdier was able to latch herself down to the dirt with her front paw before she was carried away too far. The dog Pokémon parried against the wind until it died down from Pidove's exhaustion, then it pounced into the air and smashed headfirst into the flying-type.

Pidove fell like a rock, but it was able to break its fall just in time to save himself from a painful landing.

"Alright Herdier, use Take Down while it's still weak."

"Dodge with Quick Attack."

Herdier charged with an army of dust behind him, but when he reached his opponent, Pidove dashed away in a flash of feathers, then took on the offensive. The normal-type steered aside just in time, but when she tried to swipe at the flying-type again, Pidove evaded her move with ease. It was mortal combat in the field with either side relenting. Emma was surprised at the Herdier's speed. Even with Quick Attack, he was able to evade most of the attacks, escaping with barely a few scratches and bruises. Pretty soon, Pidove was beginning to tire out.

"Pretty smart using Quick Attack as a defensive and offensive mechanism," Lenora observed. Her eyes widened when she spotted an opening. "Now Herdier, use Take Down!"

Herdier rammed herself into Pidove, throwing her opponent across the field.

"Pidove is unable to battle," the referee announced.

"You did great," Emma sighed as she returned the fatigue Pokémon into his pokéball. She had worked so fervently on Pidove's speed and agility, but it seemed like Lenora had more experience.

Emma's next choice was her Oshawott. She didn't know what else to do; she hadn't expected her first Pokémon to be knocked out so fast.

An uncanny breeze blew in through an opened window, and rain water splashed like an angry god down on the battlefield before the referee was able to shut the window. It was still raining pretty hard outside. A quick observation told Emma that Herdier was currently very weak. If she played her cards right, she should be able to clear her off cleanly and without tiring her second Pokémon out too much.

"Oshawott, I want you to use Water Gun," Emma said. "But aim for Lenora instead of her Pokémon."

The water-type was hesitant to react, but it did as it was told. The Water Gun pumped straight at a surprised Lenora like a deadly fist. Out of instinct, Herdier jumped straight in the line of the water and tried to use Bite to defend her master, but the Water Gun was never intended for Lenora. In the last minute, Oshawott steered her trajectory off course, and Herdier jumped blindly into its path. The normal type fell and couldn't continue to battle.

"As impressed as I was by you're Pidove's performance," Lenora smiled, "The human mind and its nooks and crannies always surprised me more. You know that it's against the rules to attack a trainer, so you only made it seemed as if you were because you know my Herdier was trained to react on instinct. A very clever observation, Emma."

The trainer across the field nodded. She had to be careful now. Lenora probably wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. Now she would be better prepared to guard her Pokémon against Emma's trickeries. Oshawott's statists was running perfectly. The next match would be as even as it first begun.

"Come on out, Watchog!" Lenora called as she threw her next and last pokéball into the field. She was half-way there but there was still a long road ahead. "Use Hypnosis!"

Emma gasped. She had a sinking feeling that that Watchog was unlike any other field monsters she'd fought before. Apparently, Lenora was taking no chances with her Oshawott. What should she do?

"Quick Oshawott," Emma racked her brain for a solution. "Lower its defense with Tail Whip!"

Tail Whip? Why would she take such a ridiculous gamble? Luckily, Oshawott was able to face away from her opponent upon using Tail Whip. Since Hypnosis didn't work without direct eye contact, the attack was useless.

"Brilliant idea, Emma," the Gym Leader said. "Watchog, end this once and for all with Crunch!"

"Oshawott, use Razor Shell!"

Close combat. A practical mechanism every fight had, yet not many trainers bothered to practice it, but Pokémon battles were just like a regular fight in the real world - the strongest and smartest ones were the victors. Emma loved online gaming, she would admit if asked, and the first skill that she practiced with every one of her Pokémon was close combat. She could only pray that her Oshawott would be able to overcome the more experienced Watchog.

Both Pokémon charged like soldiers at war. When their skills met, they both tried to dodge one another's attacks. Watchog tried to attack the water-type with a full on ram only to be parried off by the glistening shell in her hand. Next, Oshawott slashed expertly at Watchog, jumping back when it tried to retaliate. It was like watching a fight between two ancient swordsmen. The brawl and cries, the dirt be being moped right off the floor, the dodges and attacks where all too much to handle at once.

Watching intensely on her side of the battlefield, Emma gaped widely at the strife ahead. Finally, it was one of those battles she'd dreamed to fighting since she was a little girl. For a moment there, she almost felt as if she was sitting on her couch that very moment, watching a tournament on screen and eating popcorn off the cushions.

"That's enough Watchog," Lenora said. "Retreat into defense position immediately."

Watchog tore herself reluctantly from battle, back flipping away, barely dodging one final swipe from Oshawott. The normal-type readied herself before her trainer, paws raised anticipating another attack.

_They both seemed very torn up,_ Emma thought._ If I don't do something soon, Lenora might end up winning. I've got to find a way to power up my Oshawott._

Then, an idea hit her like a freaking meteor. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of this before? Oshawott was her first Pokémon and she'd completely forgotten to exploit her strength.

"Oshawott, Water Gun straight at that window!" Emma commanded. "Then use Water Sport!"

The Pokémon obeyed and fired a jet of water at the window without question. If her trainer had a plan, then she should trust her one hundred percent! The glass panel burst open and the rain pelted like rocks down onto the battlefield. The wind howled like an injured Pokémon, splitting through the crack in an inhumane screech. Branches from nearby oak trees spray their leaves in as if they were popping confetti in a fiesta. The previously exhausted Oshawott now looked as refreshed as ever.

"What are you do-?" Lenora started, but the same realization had drawn to her. No, she couldn't let this happen! "Stop her! Use Crunch."

But before the Watchog could even get close to Oshawott, a brilliant glow emitted from the water-type, making everyone freeze with wonder.

"Oh my god," Emma whispered. She never thought she'd live to see this day. "Oshawott is evolving!"

The brilliant white light enclosed around Oshawott like a cocoon of brilliance until all Emma could see was a flashing orb too dazzling and blinding to scrutinize. Slowly, she saw the orb shape shifting in a spectral motion, slowing shaping her Pokémon into something new. When the light receded, she was left with a different Oshawott with darker fur, a longer tail, and - what was that - whiskers! Her Pokémon had evolved in to a Dewott! Emma was so damned proud.

"Nice light show," Lenora commented. "But I've seen enough evolutions in my days, and it's not going to stop me from beating you. Watchog, keep this match heated with Crunch!"

"We'll see about that," Emma grinned. Her confidence was once again renewed. "Dewott use Water Gun."

"Dodge that attack and continue with Crunch."

"Oshawott, be ready with Razor Shell!"

By now, Emma was used the Watchog's attack speed, which greatly overpowered any ranged attacks that her Pokémon threw, so she was ready with a backup plan when the normal-type managed to dodge the Water Gun. It would definitely come down to close combat.

Dewott now weld two shells as she deflected her opponent's attack. It was way more impressive now that she was able to handle a dual weapon upon her evolution. She launched her enemy back and jump gracefully into the offensive. Watchog was able to parry a few blows, but her counters must've taxed her a great deal of strength. Combined with her current worn out stage and Dewott's refocused energy, she was no match for the water-type.

Finally, Watchog's defense broke like a crack in a shield, and Oshawott's attacks could finally make contact. The match resulted in Dewott beating Watchog up pretty badly, and Emma had to call her Pokémon off before any serious injuries were insured.

"You know what?" Lenora said as she retrieved her fainted Pokémon. "You are actually not that bad of a trainer. I admire the way you think on your feet, and I seriously look forward to battling you again someday."

"You won't believe how glad I am to hear that," Emma shook her head in disbelief. "Honestly, you were so good that I had no idea how I've managed to win."

"Have a bit more confidence in yourself," Lenora said. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was young and wanted to be the best trainer ever. Being the Champion of Unova was the only thing I had ever cared about."

"Yet you became a Gym Leader instead," Emma blushed. Maybe it was the wrong thing to say. "I'm sorry if that came out kind of rude. What I meant to say is that you are so good, and I can really see you as the champion."

"Some dreams never die, sweetheart, but you also have to be honest with yourself. Being the best doesn't necessarily mean that it will fulfill your life although being the champion does sound nice. But being someone you can be proud of is the reason why we dare to dream, and _I_ daresay that I'm mighty proud of myself for becoming a Gym Leader and guiding young trainers through their journey."

"You have to be honest with yourself…," Emma repeated in a whisper. Was she honest with herself? All her life she'd wanted to be the best at everything, but seeing Lenora standing so happily before her made her feel all warm inside. "I think I get it now…. Thanks you for the advice."

"Now, come here!" Lenora exclaimed merrily. She took out the object that Emma had fought so vigorously for. "You haven't even got your badge yet!"

Emma smiled and strode across the battlefield for her prize. Although the referee had closed the window after the battle was over, the floor was still slightly damp and muddy from the wind. Lenora proudly presented her with her second badge, which lifted her ever closer to accomplishing her goal. At that one sweet second of bliss as she held the shiny metal up to her face, she forgot about her mother, Team Plasma, and all her worries were washed away like the mud beneath her sneakers.

"As a congratulation to beating your second Gym, how would you like a free tour around the Nacrene Museum. We've got fossils and artifacts and basically all the history in Unova stored in one air conditioned building."

"Sure," Emma laughed as she imagined Cheren, Bianca, and Jack actually _paying_ in the ticket booth. Then her smiled dimmed when she thought about the stones outside. Perhaps this was her chance to unlock the secrets behind the stones. "I would love that very much."

"Lenora! Lenora!" a man rushed into the room. Worry and sweat covered his face like a mask. His mouth was stammering with all the words he couldn't say. "Honey, it's…it's t-terrible. A bunch of men somehow b-broke through the security system, and s-stole one of our most important fossils. I saw them r-run away outside."

"I'm sorry, Emma," Lenora said, her face suddenly tense. "I need to deal with this."

The tall woman strolled to the door in just a few simple leaps. She and the man whispered to each other intensely. From a few words Emma could make out, she gathered that they were planning to go after them. A bunch of crooks trying to steal something. Why did that sound so familiar?

"Wait," Emma called after them. "Did the men happen to be wearing some Medieval knight-like costumes?"

The man stopped and turned around. Now his face was a mixture of anxiousness and surprise. "Y-yes," he stammered. "How did you know?"

"Well crap," was her answer.

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**I remember my 4th grade teacher telling me not to use the word "black" while describing an African American person because it wasn't politically correct. But then, my 8th grade English teacher was using these kind of words off the bat. "...why wasn't he allowed in that bar? Because he is black!" I even heard her describing Asians as "yellow." I don't know if it is politically correct or rude to describe Lenora as "black" or not, but I thought we were way past the age where these things even matters.**

**Humor is overrated for this chapter. :(**

**N takes the spotlight in the next chapter and he's got a diabolical plan! **


	11. Chapter 10: The Awakening

**TEN FUCKING CHAPTERS (*slams the table*)**

**God, I wish I could express how happy I am right now. I know that this story is not the best (especially with my bad grammar), but I am mightly proud of it. Getting to chapter ten really marked a milestone in my life. For once I'm sticking to something and pouring my time into it. So to celebrate the tenth chapter (technically eleventh but the prologue was like an on and off subject that I will exclude here), I will be preparing a special chapter ahead (probably going to be posted as chapter 12) that really goes into shipping, romance, and all those stuff I tend to avoid, but now I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.**

**Jack: And we should really thank Magnus for not throwing us away like crap.**

**Emma: Like he has been doing to everything else in his life.**

**Bianca: *blows a party horn***

**Magnus: I don't have to throw away sleep though *yawns***

**I'm really tired right now. Typing this at 11 pm on a school night (just finish studying for a science test.) Anyways I just want to thank those who favorite-ed, followed, reviewed, and read my work. I've starting this Fanfiction late last year when I was just a 13 years old wannabe writer. So much has changed since then (now I'm a 14 year old wannabe)****. I'm in high school with tons of homework and tests piling up. I wish this story a long if not finished life and to many great stories and chapters ahead :) Technically I'm not suppose to drink alcohol but toasting with a glass of milk is still okay I guess...**

**Thank you :3 **

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POKEMON BACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Ten: The Awakening

**WHITE -.-**

She was back in the museum again.

Emma had followed Lenora from the battlefield and now, she was standing before a broken glass cage. Hard, bitter shards of glass were littered in shiny tiles beneath her feet. The stand in which the Dragon Skull once subdued now stood empty and naked like a glorious statue that had lost its beloved head. They didn't do a good job - whoever it was that fled the crime scene - since it would be clear to anybody that something was stolen. Maybe they weren't being as secretive because they didn't need to be. Maybe this was just a grand unveiling of the more terrible crimes that lies ahead. Above their heads, cornered in the essence of shadows, was the sole witness to the theft - a limp and lifeless security camera that had shut off moments before the crime.

"I saw them smashing open the case," the man, whom Emma later discovered was actually Lenora's husband Hawes, murmured. He wasn't shaking quite as bad after the initial shock wore off. "Unfortunately they saw me too, and they took off before I could do anything."

"Well, they couldn't have gone far," Lenora said, glancing at the door which stood only a few yards away. It was swung opened brutally, and somewhere in the mist of the darkness and rain hid two criminals whom Emma knew did more wrong in their lifetime than stealing. "We can still catch up with them if we run fast. Emma, you stay here. They could be dangerous."

Emma had no doubt that if anyone was going to catch the thieves, it would be Lenora, but she still wanted to help. Team Plasma ruined the whole trainer experience and fouled every minute of the day with the pettiness of their wrong-doings. There was nothing that could satisfy Emma more at that moment than to see the organization behind bars.

Lenora grabbed her raincoat from the doorway, draped it over her heavy apron, and sprint off in an almost inhuman pace. Hawes struggled along behind her in a messy slag of wheezing and coughing. Emma watched their forms reside until they were swallowed completely by the night.

"What happened?" Cheren asked. The gang were also aroused by the sudden panic and had just arrived in the crime scene.

"Team Plasma happened," Emma replied bitterly. The sourness of the words lingered in her mouth long after she said them. "They stole one of the museum's artifacts and ran away with it. The curator and a man just ran after them."

All at once, everyone started speaking.

Bianca: We should go after them.

Jack: They are dangerous!

Emma: We beat them last time.

Jack: You people don't know what a gun is, do you?

"Wait, this makes no sense!" Cheren exclaimed. Everyone stopped and gawked at him.

"Why?" Bianca protested. "They are bad people that do bad things. I don't believe I can make it any simpler."

"How can I explain this in a way you can understand?" Cheren muttered. He paused and considered his words carefully. "Team Plasma…they aren't like regular criminals that steal for no reason. Didn't you hear them at Accumula Town? Emma and I kind of had a talk about this. According to my research, every one of their actions seemed to be related to the liberation of Pokémon. It's how they convince themselves that they're doing good. So why steal a Pokémon fossil?"

"Cheren is right, guys," Emma sighed. "This is too random. They have no reason to steal a fossil."

"People don't need a elaborate plan or a complicated motive in order to steal things," Jack said. "We don't have time to talk this out. They already have a sizeable lead."

"What are we waiting for then?" Bianca said. She was already halfway to the door. "Let's go!"

It happened again just as Emma was about to exit the building. If she left, it would be like abandoning a part of her soul back in the museum. She hesitated, the tugging in her mind forced her stop in midstride. It was raining like hell outside, so why was she sweating so much? It was in there, somewhere. Her friends didn't even notice that she wasn't following their malignant chase.

The minute Emma stepped back into the museum, it was as if she had walked into an unknown painting that contained an alien version of herself. So helpless she seemed against the atrocious chains shackled into her body. There was nowhere to go except back, back towards the place where it all begins. Hypnotized by fate, blinded by destiny, she navigated through each step haphazardly as if she had too much to drink. Stumbling…knocking and scraping against the displays…desperately clinging on to whatever sanity she had left until finally, the glass case was once again within her reach. The Light Stone gleamed madly, welcoming her compulsory presence.

Oh, it would be so easy! Her mind slipped her an image of the hindered security camera. The alarms were disabled, and if Lenora came back and found the rock missing, she would simply assumed that Team Plasma took it along with the Dragon Skull. It was such a perfect set up! Nobody would suspect a thing from her. If she would just take the Light Stone, maybe all the craziness would stop for once in her life. It's so easy….

She tried lifting the glass barrier up, but it was fastened to the stand with metal latches, so her only other option was to break the glass. What could she use? In a split second decision, she raced to the janitor's closet room at the back of the museum and snatched the biggest mallet she could find. Her breath was heaving uncontrollably and her eyes gazed forward unfocused as she dragged the tool back to the stone. Taking her best striking stance, Emma smashed the weapon awkwardly into the glass case, effectively breaking the barrier and chipping the wooden handle of the mallet.

Emma's adrenaline spiked when she picked up the Light Stone. Nothing else mattered anymore now that she was reunited with something she'd lost for so long. It was glowing red again, and for some reason Emma felt as if she was glowing too. The sensible part of her brain had long left her body to explode in this moment of delirium.

Just then, the doors swung open. Wind carried the rain inside like a parade of dancing specters. There were voices low and hushed. Their footfalls entered Emma's spiked hearing in loud drum beats. The girl was forced once again to divert her attention from the stone.

Were her friends back looking for her? Had Lenora succeeded in capturing the thieves? Did Team Plasma decided to come back? Unfortunately, it was the latter; none of the hushed voices could Emma recognize. They were coming this way although the other displays obscured her from their view.

_Clang!_

The mallet slipped from Emma's hand and landed on the floor in one earsplitting bounce. It felt as if the whole world was compressing in around her until it left her with no room to breathe. The atrocious footsteps came thundering her way; the was no other choice but to run.

In a frantic pace, Emma slipped the stone inside her pocket and moved out. She wasn't sure whether to run or hide because it wasn't like those movies where she could just bust on out of there. Maybe she could circle around the building quietly until she reached the entrance.

Oh no! They saw her! There were two men - henchmen from Team Plasma no less - each looked as if they could snap her bones without much effort. One of them pointed at her direction and both grunts separated - one glided away behind some shelves and the other charged at her.

Emma panic and ran towards the geology department. She desperately push a giant globe of the Earth over to delay her pursuers. Faltering as she observed her pursuer's relentless speed, she tripped on a wire and fell strait into a crater, skinning her knees in one painful fall.

There was no time to whine in the dirt. She got up, gave one distain glance at her bloody kneecaps, and dashed off again. They were after the stone - she knew it without a second thought - and she would rather die than hand it over.

Her surroundings begun to dim as she entered the Renaissance Art Gallery. Paintings of princes and nobles glared down at her as if they were simply enjoying the show. Their haughty expressions and marble carved skin seemed so ageless and intimating behind their walls of charily brushed pigments. Empty armors lined the hall in their eternal stance of gallant service, each flaunting their dazzling metal suits and weaponry. The lights were paled to protect the precious artwork and their sensitive nature.

Emma stopped in the middle of the protracted hallway because she had reached a dead end. Creeping up behind her hunter was none other than the second grunt. The trainer glanced back and saw that her original pursuer had stopped. She was right where they wanted her. In seconds, she would be within their grasp, and Emma doubt they would be letting her walk out of there in one piece with the stone.

Emma rummaged through the drawers in her brain for a solution, flipped it upside down and around again until all her thoughts were mangled up in one disoriented pile of dread. They were getting closer and closer - their shadows threatening to swallow her up whole - and there was nothing to do but to retreat back until she felt the inevitable touch of the cold stone wall at the end of the corridor.

The portrait of a plump little princess grinned at her through the ethereal radiance. The words "I love pink sugar tap-dancing, tea-sipping ballerina unicorns!" seemed to reflect on her wide, buck-toothed smile. Abruptly, a terrible realization begun collapsing inside her head. This was no longer a stupid Pokémon duel for glory. There was just her, Emma, alone with the henchmen of evil. This was not a game, but a matter of life and death….

She was scared and helpless…just like once upon a time…in a burning wreckage….

Her life was a wreckage….

….

Somewhere in the darkness a red spark ignited.

Emma looked down.

Her pocket was glowing radiantly like the blazing sun.

She reached carefully inside and grasped her hands around the Light Stone. A searing pain pulsated through her veins, and she felt as if her whole body was on fire.

Emma's vision blurred red. Images and memories that were not hers flashed brilliantly in her head, and she found herself looking through the eyes of someone that was with her the day she was born. There were two brothers; there were two dragons. One war divided the land. Chaos terrorized people for decades. She was going win the war and bring about peace. But something cold…something evil extinguished her powerful flames. It locked her up for a thousand years. But now she was ready to reclaim her throne, and nobody could stop her this time.

A gear inside of her clicked into place as if she had finally found the missing screw. She could hardly see anything through the sea of flames but an instinct - something not quite her own - operated her limbs.

Emma reached for one of the armors standing beside her. She took the first thing that came within her grasp - a heavy metal sword that would've staggered the old Emma. She lift the weapon and aimed it at the startled henchmen.

Then she charged.

The artwork and hues blurred as she ran in an almost inhuman pace. The burning images were still playing in her head. She was going to rise again, and nobody is going to stop her this time. Certainly not two grunts!

Emma could feel everything retrograding in slow motion. The dancing nightlights, the saluting knights, and even the terrified looks on both grunt's faces. She was going in for the kill….

At the last possible moment, Emma felt the stone slipping from her hand. Its powers left her just as fast as it had come. But she was still charging with a deadly sword in hand. No matter what terrible things these men did, she didn't want to kill them. Never would she ever sink to their level!

Her grip loosened around the sword. She swung her sword arm away and slid like a baseball player right through the grasp of Team Plasma. By the time they'd registered what had happened, Emma was already outside the gallery. The tried to run after her but they were too late. Emma slammed the door on their surprised faces and kept it shut by placing the sword between the two handles. It'd worked in movies, and she prayed against hope that it would keep them from catching up with her as she made for the exit.

A harsh splash of rainwater smacked her right in the face as she raced outside the museum. With one wondrous look at the Light Stone, Emma stuff the article inside her jacket. It didn't matter that she was soaking wet, all she wanted to do then was run away as far as possible and never look back.

She was out of breath. Her knees seemed to be bleed even more wildly, and many scratches and bruises caused by her escape laid sporadic on her body like beauty marks. It was over, wasn't it? Emma glanced bewildered back at the almost peaceful looking building. One though ran in circles, over and over again in her head: It's over. It's over. It's over. The experience was unpleasant, even terrifying, and the urge to vomit kept knocking on her intestines.

She needed to find Lenora and her friends. They could help her escape this nightmare.

"Hand it over!" a figure stepped out from the shadows of the oak trees out front. He was about Emma's age: tall, skinny, and a long wave of green hair. His face was hidden beneath the sketchy shade of his hat like a grieving man. "I'm can't believe that I'm asking you to do this."

"I'm sorry?" Emma squint through the downpour, her heart accelerated once again. It was the same boy from Accumula Town - the one with the one letter name that appeared briefly again at Striaton City - that had challenged her to a duel. And there he was again like a shadow trailing her everywhere. Could he be after the Light Stone, too?

"The Light Stone," N hissed right on cue. He couldn't have been clearer. "I know you have it. Just hand it over!"

"No way!" Emma cried fiercely, but she was slightly hindered by his sudden grave attitude. "I'm going to find my friends."

"I was afraid that it will come to this," N signed. Something in his voice made him different as if an evil twin he had kept locked up for years had suddenly taken his place. "Tympole, use Bubble Beam."

A small, tadpole-like Pokémon emerged besides N. Emma danced to the side as a jet of bubbles exploded from the water-type's mouth. He definitely wasn't playing around.

"Are you ******* crazy!" Emma blurted out as she tried to regain her balance. "Let me through you son of a *****!"

"Pidove, Timburr," N kept summoning his Pokémon in an almost mechanical fashion. He was completely zoning her out. "Stop her."

"****!" Emma cursed. "Pansear, Lillipup, Dewott go!"

There was nothing to do but fight back, yet she felt hesitant to act because she was unsure of the consequences.

* * *

**This chapter is so weird. I had it in my mind for a while now, and when I finally sat down to write it, this chapter came out twice the size of all my regular ones. In the end I decided to cut the chapter here. Maybe I'll post the following part next week (?) There is no Pokemon battles, but there is some old fashion action. What a great way to end the tenth chapter! This really signals a turning point in the story. Now everything will be less tamed and I will not be afraid to go out of my league here.**

**I really appreciate reviews and support.**

**Find out what happened next time in Dragon Ball...nvm I'll stop. (I hated that show)**


	12. Chapter 11:Everything Worth Fighting For

**Whew...that was pretty fast. So, it's Labor Day weekend and I'm running out of things to do :(((( A few times my hands inched towards my phone and one time, I even scrolled down the contact information page of all my friends. But I'm not the social kind and I rather sit in my room typing this and watch reruns on Netflix than do something with my life qq.**

**Not much going on in this chapter. I just wanted to make this story more novel-like than a series of chronicle events. It basically ties the cliffhanger in the last episode.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Eleven: Everything Worth Fighting For

**GRAY O.O**

They'd cornered the Team Plasma grunts at a clearing in the northern exit of Pinwheel Forest - a region just outside of Nacrene City. There were four of them - three men and a woman - with each of their perspective Pokémon summoned.

Jack had first spotted them heading into the forest. They were fast, but Jack was faster. In the end, he forced them to a battle in which he was greatly outnumbered. Pretty soon, Jack was worn out from countering four different Pokémon at a time. Just when he was about to be beaten, Lenora appeared along with Burgh (Hawes couldn't make it and had to stop to rest in a café), the Gym Leader of Castelia City, and the others.

The battle raged on for quite a while. Drowning in rain and sweat, they were down to the last grunt and his Sandile. Tension was high in the air. They were about to win, but what did that mean? The last grunt held the Dragon Skull, and the rest stood back and watched. Would they finally be convicted of crime and put in prison?

"Herdier, use Take Down!" Lenora commanded.

This was it - the final hit that would knock out the last opposing Pokémon - and everyone including Herdier knew it. She bolted at the weakened Sandile, but something unexpected happened.

"Cofagrigus, use Psychic!" a muffled hackle ranged from somewhere behind the terrified grunts.

Herdier stopped in midair, levitating supernaturally in her position and landed with a _thump_ on the ground. She laid there slightly dazed.

An elderly man mummified in a heavy black cloak emerged from the shrubberies. Although he looked ancient, he strolled forward graciously like a young man. He stopped just a few feet apart from Lenora, who stood gaping at the man standing before her.

"Who are you?" Lenora scowled once she got over the initial shock. "Leave this instant. You will be endangered if you stay."

"It is you who will be in grave danger 'Gym Leader'," the man rasped. His voice hissed like the humming drum of a Beedrill, prickling the hair on Jack's skin. He pronounced the last two words with a great hiss as if he found the title oddly displeasing.

"W-what do you mean?" Lenora stumbled. She wasn't used to being talked to like this.

"Foolish commoner," the elder crackled. His voice was starting to unnerve Jack to the point that he diverted his gaze to the four grunts. They were ominously quiet, absorbing the scene with their wide, childish eyes. "You do not understand what is to come. People like you are so used to the old world that you have blinded your eyes to its corruption and filth. I am Gorm, a member of the Seven Sages, and I bear with me the words of our king: The plan of liberation will take place, and once we've awakened the three dragons, truth and ideas will once again reign the land of Unova, and balance shall be restored."

Something Gorm said strung a cord in Jack's mind. The empty note vibrated through his entire body, rattling the reality before him.

Truth and Ideas.

Balance.

Why were those words so familiar? It seemed only yesterday that the strange man had shoved him into this world, and with him carried the promise to restore the balance between truth and ideals. Was this it? In his mind's eye, Jack saw brief snippets of his dream where the man asked him about believing in destiny; the midnight drink he had with Emma where she asked him about the ultimate truth. Everything was falling into place, yet when he thought about it, the pieces became smaller, not quite covering the big picture. Jack froze, his mind rooted in one spot. There was something off here.

"You work for Team Plasma, don't you?" Cheren stepped forward boldly. "You are a thief, a liar, and a disgusting person!"

"Oh, I don't think we've ever lied, do you?" Gorm smirked, now directing his attention to Cheren. "Now, that reminds me, you are one of those dense little cretins, aren't you? You've been causing a lot of trouble for Team Plasma, and the king is not too happy about your recent activities."

At that moment, Bianca lost it. She ran straight at Gorm with a tightly squeezed fist aimed straight at his head. The so-called sage grinned - an awful, sinister split in the his unholy face - and jumped back with the agility of a circus performer. Bianca stumbled and the old man took advantage of her abrupt instability and rammed his elbow into her gut. The blonde fell back and coughed until she could breathe properly again. Before she could imperil herself any further, Cheren wrapped his arms around her, temporarily restraining her rage.

"King?" Jack raised his voice. "Do you mean Ghetsis?"

"No," the elder craned his head towards him devilishly. "Ghetsis is a sage like me. Our king is a young man of noble birth. He will lead us with his ideals and bring forth our army to victory. This is a caution: there will be consequences if you continue this insolence."

"You are right," Burgh piped in. He was a flamboyant man who specializes in bug-type Pokémon. "There are consequences for your actions. And each and every one of you will be put down for treason."

"Once the new order is in place," Gorm said, turning his back to them, "_She" - _he pointed to Bianca - "will be one of the first we put in line." He gave a small nod at the grunt holding the skull. "You can have your precious little artifact back. We couldn't have cared less."

The grunt dropped the Dragon Skull, and then dashed off with the rest of his mates. Everyone stared after the grunts, too stunned to run after them. Jack watched as the skull fell, bounced once, twice, three times. Each time it hit the ground, a shrill ring vibrated within his eardrums. Could there be someone worst than Ghetsis out there?

_No, _he thought blandly. _How could I have been so stupid?_ The stolen Dragon Skull didn't matter to Team Plasma one bit. As he stared bewildered at the fallen fossil, he felt the urge to plant his foot firmly on its mocking white bone and crush it with his sneakers until it could be carried away by Mother Nature's breath.

It was a trap. It was a freaking trap all along! Team Plasma didn't want the stupid Dragon Skull; it was just used as a decoy. Everyone was so busy chasing a meaningless pawn that they'd left the museum unattended. Now that he reflect upon the crime scene, his theory became clearer and clearer: Although the museum's security was disabled, there were still people inside, and it wouldn't leave Team Plasma much time to find their real objective. Instead, they snatched the closest item to the door and lead everyone on a wild goose chase, giving their other henchmen time to ransack the museum and find what they were really after.

_Emma._ The thought suddenly popped in his head. They had lost her during the pursuit, but he wasn't too concerned with her whereabouts until now. _She is back in the museum_, a voice whispered in his mind, _and she is in trouble._ He needed to go back this instance!

Jack took off wordlessly leaving the others in his dust. He heard Lenora call out to him, but he ignored everything and focused only on the Nacrene Museum. He knew in his guts that Team Plasma's mission must not succeed, or else his second chance would be thrown out the window. Yes, that was how he perceived his mission in the Pokémon world: a second chance at his failed life.

The rain was falling like an unyielding bull, ramming it's horns again and again against Jack's head. His shoes were screaming from water gathered inside. His feet pounded against each puddle, eddying title waves up his wet jeans.

Emma was in trouble, and Jack was about to lose his second chance.

**BLACK ^.^**

N was falling into pieces.

Never in a million years could he guessed that it was her: Emma. It just wasn't fair! How could fate snatch an innocent girl's life and throw her into the middle of a battlefield, helpless and afraid? Life was perverted in so many ways. He needed time to think, but here wasn't any time. She was right in front of him with the stone tucked so carelessly in her pocket.

N felt sick inside. He pulled his cap closer to his face, masking the terror and fear shinning brilliantly in his eyes. He ordered another attack from his Pidove. He had no choice but to fight. She was the enemy - she was the one stand in the way of his ideals. She was a truth-seeker and everything N had been taught to despise. The morals, the codes that had been carved in his bones the day Ghetsis picked him up from the forest - the day that his life had ended and begun again. He owned it to himself to bring forth a new age where Pokémon would no longer be abused. He owned it to his parents and the dead Pansear.

"Dewott, use Razor Shell!" Emma commanded.

She was still fighting. Even with a lifetime of bruises on her skin, she was still fighting. Why? Her Pokémon - most very fatigue from her Gym fight - were still giving it all they've got. Emma had that effect on people. She was the channel to their strength and rise, but she would also be the catalyst of their fall.

Suddenly the green-haired boy stopped attacking. He was stuck between two speeding trucks, and the only way to go was forward because there was no turning away. But if backing down was not an option, then what was? N prayed that she would just hand the Light Stone over no questions asked, but he had hoped to much and dived too deep. Maybe one day she could find it in her to forgive him.

"Why are you still fighting?" N said in an barely audible voice. "You don't even understand what you're fighting for."

Emma blinked, clearly taking back by the question.

"I don't understand much of what is going on," she answered surely. "But I do know that everything has a reason behind it, and it is always worth fighting, even if you can't make heads and tails of it."

"Because backing up isn't an option, is it?" N murmured, casting his eyes away.

"Backing away _is _an option," Emma asserted, "But giving up isn't."

N found the bravery to look at her again. For the first time, he understood what he was seeing - a girl that never gives up. There were so many things he admired about her, but in the end, a fighter or not, she was still the enemy, and nothing can change that because destiny cannot be changed. Destiny grips you by the neck and never lets go. That was N's life, it had and will always be this way.

"Emma!" cried a shadowy figure running ardently from the side of the building, calling blindly out for the girl. It hadn't seen them yet, and it's wild, despite call gave N a brief flashback of all those years ago. The days he had spend in the woods calling for his parents. It remind N of everything he was fighting for.

The figure give another vain shout, this time jolting N back into reality. Her friends were coming, and he couldn't afford to stay much longer for the fear of revealing his identity. He gave one last look at his nemesis before slithering away as quietly as he had came.

**GRAY O.O**

**"**Emma!"

Jack had called her name about ten times already. Why wasn't she answering back? He was nearing the entrance now with his heart jerking up to his lungs every few seconds. He didn't care about Team Plasma anymore or how he was about to fail his second chance in life. All he wanted to know was if Emma was okay. Jack didn't want to admit this, but in a matter of two weeks he had actually grown close with this world. Emma, Bianca, and Cheren all reminded him of the family he'd lost, and he couldn't bear losing them again. Wasn't that something worth fighting for?

As Jack raced to the front door of the museum, he could make out the shadow of a person sitting in the porch steps. He came closer and saw Emma with her face buried beneath the tentacles of her wet hair. The boy stopped, suddenly afraid to come any closer. Something had definitely happened. She was all shaken up with small cuts and bruises planted in her arms and an ugly scrape on both knees. The rain had stopped, and fat droplets of water dripped from the overhead trees.

"Emma?" Jack found himself saying. He inched closer, braving the distance step by step. "What happened? Are you alright? I mean…."

He silently cursed to himself as he sat down cross-legged in front of her like a bratty child. Even from this angle, he still couldn't see the ambiguous expression hidden beneath the wet mob of hair.

"Say something, please," Jack begged.

Finally, she looked up. Her face wasn't as messed up and upset as he'd thought, but she looked defeated, distanced from everything else. Emma didn't give him an answer or an explanation of any sort. She just gazed wondrously at the horizon were the midnight bell chimed. A flock of Pidoves flew overhead, their silhouettes blinking by like the Grim Reapers of the night. She wasn't even acknowledging him. There must be a series of hurricanes plowing through her head because Emma - or the Emma he knew - was the most attentive person in the world.

Jack scooted up the marble steps until he was leveled with her unblinking, lifeless form. Together they gazed off into the ether - a special region in their minds where life wasn't as messed up as it was then, somewhere happy and forgiving or simply just a normal life that they never had.

Darkness swallowed the city whole, and every light in the street went out except for the Nacrene Museum's. They were just silhouettes sitting together in the glow of a dimmed lamp shade, collecting their remorse about life and wishing to understand…quiet praying for a miracle.

...

A lifetime seemed to had gone by before Lenora and the others arrived (Burgh had gone home and they'd found Hawes wandering around the borders worried sick). The evening air smelled rusty from the rain, and different bug-types reign their own kingdoms of dirt in the pitched black lawns surrounding the museum.

The first thing Lenora did was hug them - a big, bone-crushing squeeze that left them both breathless. She broke apart when she saw the bloody landscape on Emma's skin. It was nothing, the overly passive girl explained. Just a few scrapes here and there; nothing that won't heal with time. Either way she still got patched up like a runaway mummy.

Cheren demanded an explanation for the charade, and Emma provided him with one - a simply woven tale with gaps and holes in-between each threadbare lines: She was separated from the others during the chase and she came back to the museum; Team Plasma arrived and chased her; she managed to get out just in time.

It was a lie, or a messily sketched truth that stained the surface with its uneven lines and details. After spending so many years wrapped up in a cocoon of his own lies, Jack could tell when someone wasn't telling him the whole truth. She seemed awfully calm as she sold them her story, but Jack knew that every fiber of her body was shivering in fright - afraid of knowing, afraid of believe anything other than the lie.

Everyone looked skeptical when Emma stopped, especially Cheren with his unnervingly intelligent gaze. They proceeded inside where, when Lenora saw the tipped over shelves and crater possibly containing Emma's DNA, coughed uncontrollably to hide her miserable surprise. Although the damage so far seemed minimum, Nacrene Museum held a sense of unforgiving dread. It had lost its innocence and a brick wall stood between Lenora and the others (no one was really certain of her feelings because she had remained speechless the whole time.)

"What the hell happened here?" Bianca cried. She had spotted the case the used to contain the Light Stone, which now laid beneath a blanket of broken glass. The culprit - a mallet from the janitor's workroom - seemed to shrugged in response to its conviction.

Jack saw Emma flinch as if she was slapped in the face. He had kept a close eye on her ever since they'd walked into the museum, intently taking note of her reactions. She had given nothing away until then, and the effect that the current scene had on her foreshadowed the whole plot, but he wasn't quite sure what the story was about.

Regrettably, Lenora did, and she looked as if she could cry enough tears to flood the Nile River. She rushed over the misshapen display with a sigh that blew years of hard work out of the window.

"Team Plasma stole the Light Stone," Emma explained when the grown woman looked to her for clarification. Her voice was hollow and empty like a hamburger without the patty. "I came just in time to see it."

Their tongue-tied tour ended in the curator's office. They didn't have time to explore the rest of it for Lenora seemed so desolated after being told the absence of the Light Stone. Everyone formed a ring around her. Even Hawes placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulders. The scene reminded Jack of a story his father used to tell him about a miserable king that formed a circle of nobles around him. Each was tasked to make the him happy when he got sad. In the end, one noble gave the king a ring that said: _This too shall pass._ Unfortunately, it felt as if the night would never pass, and they were forever stuck in this wretched continuum in time.

"Lenora…" Emma begin.

"No, it's okay Emma," the curator cut her off. She wiped her red, puffy eyes in a very adult-ish fashion. "It's not worth getting upset over. The Light Stone and its brother were just myths spun by the hillbilly folks to scare their young. We've uncover this after years of searching, but in the end, it was just a silly little hobby. Not going to make me sad anymore. Just a stupid stone. The legends were not true. Just silly little stories."

"No, they're not!" Emma exclaimed, her voice vibrating with life in the comatose atmosphere. "They're true! The grunts…I-when they were chasing me…I-I shut them up in the art room…."

Almost the instant the words left her mouth, she looked as if she might throw up on the curator's face, but she steadied herself and bowed her head regretfully, her eyes almost on the verge of tears. Lenora, at first, wasn't really taking in her speech, but the last part shook her up real good.

"What?" Lenora burst out of her desk like a water tank exploding. "Silly girl! Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"I-I thought…"

"Never mind that. They might still be in there!"

Lenora ran from her office as if all her wishes and dreams lied on her destination. Perhaps, if she had just been there a little earlier, maybe just a little more careful and alert, she would've caught the grunts. Unfortunately life doesn't depend on how each event should've played out, it centered around those that already did. Each precaution is a card you put down on the casino table, and rarely (unless you possess the inner eye) do event ever unfold as you intended. If Lenora was just a little bit earlier; a little bit more careful and alert; she would've became the Champion of Unova. But hardly anything in her life could be considered _not_ disappointing, and as she stood staring at the splintered doors of the Renaissance Art Gallery, she finally accepted her failure.

The grunts had broken out of the gallery, heaving one of the doors clean off its hinges. A great white sword laid defeated on the side, it's sharp, plastic point (easily mistaken as metal) was decapitated and missing. Just a little earlier, and maybe they would've captured the two criminals, but sadly, as it seemed to Jack, they might never have the chance again. The boy kneeled before the broken sword. Plastic…easily broken off by force. The weapon's gallant appearance was nothing but malarkey, and it had failed them when they needed it the most.

Jack stood up. This was not the time to despair, he told himself. But his reassurance was empty and invalid. What is there to do other than to despair? Team Plasma had won; they took what they needed and they were now a whole league closer to accomplishing their diabolical plan. He edged closer to the gallery, one miserable step at a time, but it was Emma who saw it first.

She let out a slight gasp, her foot lingering two steps in front of Jack's. He saw it too, but he could only stare at the scene speechlessly with wide, uncertain eyes. Lenora stepped up, and it looked as if she might faint. One by one, everyone was struck by the curve ball that the life had thrown their way.

The back of the Renaissance Art Gallery was in ruins. Every painting was desolated to the point of no return. The brilliant hues of their pigments held only one color - the filthy black stain from the leftovers of a fire. It was as if a bomb had gone off in the middle of the Plump Princess's face. A crater about a inch deep was carved into the velvet rug, but there was no sign of whatever caused it. The walls and the explosion had took most of the surrounding artwork along with it. Cinders and showers of sparks laid sporadic on the walls, the tapestry carpet, and every inch of Old King Cole's face like a contagious virus.

"Dear god!" Lenora exclaimed. Her face was a monument of delirium, and she looked so close to fainting. Maybe when she woke up, this would all be just a bad dream. "What did they do to all my paintings? Ruined! What in Arceus's name happened here, Emma? Did-did a bomb go off? Emma?"

But Emma wasn't listening. All her focus seemed to be directed at one painting on the wall that barely managed to escape the explosion (or whatever it was). Jack went over to her cautiously - everyone was a little on edge then - and took a closer look at the painting too.

With only a small scratch, barely visible in the golden frames, held the portrait of a rather tall fellow with a slick angular face and long, green hair that flowed to his back. He was garbed in finery, his smile foxy and entertaining. A rather splendid crown rest his forehead, and the way he looked back at the passersby (like almost every other painting in there) was full of an ominous sense of knowledge and deceit. The way his eyes wrinkle seemed to say "I know what brand of cereal you had for breakfast."

Jack braved a look at the girl besides him. Her jaw was hanging in an unconditional awe, and her eyes were wide and unblinking, as if her world had just been turned upside down and spun around and around until for a moment, she stumbled backwards heavily. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to scream her lungs out. Jack didn't understand her reaction to the portrait, and he probably never will, but he did felt worried.

"What have I done?" Emma whispered. Her voice - tinny and scared - sunk deeper and deeper into a void of unsolved mysteries.

* * *

**Now that this is finished, I might actually go to the mall and see a movie or something (prob nothing on right now that is good). This chapter ended kind of weirdly. Haha. Dues ex machina in use in the last chapter. It you haven't figured it out already, Emma was the one that cause the explosion when she made contact with god or somethingie-ma-bob. I feel like every time I read over that part where Jack and Emma were just sitting in the porch steps silently...holy fuck, I feel so warm inside T.T  
**

**Yes, I do make reference to our world in this story. Example: soda brands, songs, and that reference to the Persian poems/fable about the king.**

**Love it if you guys review, favorite, follow this story (feels kind repetitive now lol).**

**I do wish that you guys hang with me in the next chapter, which I consider a special chapter because it doesn't directly affect the main plot, and if you're not interested, you can skip and not miss anything at all. I personally just want to try my hands on something new and out of an average teenage writer's comfort zone, so bear with me plz.**

**Probably not gonna upload till end of the month or maybe even later. ****shrugs**


	13. Chapter 12: Bravado

**Oh my god, I have NO time to write at all these past few weeks. I just feel so stupid in school these days. It used to be that I get the formulas and stuff right away, but ever since I started going to school around 7 a.m., classes had just been a complete blur. I would sometimes go through the entire lesson and not know what the fuck is happening.**

**To be honest, I finished half of this chapter in the first week, but then school work put my writing on hiatus. Anyways, this chapter didn't come out as great as I thought it would be, but I got my ideas down, and my god I am tired all the time now.**

**So BIENVENDIDOS everyone to the special chapter of _The Three Heroes_. I will take a break from writing after this, but it doesn't mean that I've abandoned the story. I will keep on working on it, but uploads will be less frequent. This chapter does not really affect to overall plot, but it is a nice additional show for you guys to see the internal struggles going on.**

**Jack: Here is a question for you all. Using inductive and deductive reasoning, answer this...Will the outcome of the next football game be different if all the quarterbacks in Magnus's school broke their necks before Friday night's game? **

**Magnus: No**

**Emma: And the reason is that they've never won a single game.**

**Bianca: So there will be absolutely no difference if the team showed up at all.**

**Cheren: Which is why Magnus goes to that school. They value education over their varsity teams.**

**Note: Please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes. Auto Correct usually takes care of that, and I proofread it a few times, but there might still be a few mistakes. Feel free to point out my mistakes in your review. thx**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the Original characters and contents of this story.**

* * *

POKMEON BLACK AND WHITE FANFICTION

Chapter Twelve: Bravado

**WHITE -.-**

A dark cloud drifted lazily over the frozen heart of the February sun, forecasting yet another day of pounding rain against windowsills. The morning air was crisp and refreshing, and everyone in Nacrene City stared amusingly at the sky, praying for the year's first snowfall.

Sitting on her desk in-between the dull gray walls of the Pokémon Center was a girl with dark hair and a not-so-confident face half buried in her tired arms. Her eyes lingered on one sole item on her desk - a shiny white object known as the Light Stone. It was her obsession - every single day she would wake up and stare at its glossy surface until her friends knocked on her door and carried her away from its mesmerizing grasp - something she hated and loved and wondered about every single day.

A slight rap at the door told her that everyone else was ready and waiting for her to come out. Silently, she slipped the Light Stone in her pocket and snuggled into her rain coat. When she walked out of the Pokémon Center, the fist snow flake of the year landed gracefully on her slightly parched lips.

A few weeks had passed since the previous event in the Nacrene Museum, and the Light Stone had remained dormant since. Often times, Emma would think about fiasco - fires, explosions everywhere, N, dragons awakening inside of her - as an extremely vivid dream, but reality crashed down on her every so often, and the evidence of that ran through her knees in the form of a scar and coursed through her mind in the form of the cold stone she stared at every day.

Ever since the incident, her friends had regarded her with a cold sense of detachment. They wanted more than anything to comfort her, to ask her how she feels while restraining her to a rocking chair armed with a cup of hot chocolate, but they knew Emma wasn't that type of girl - the ones that run home crying after a tough day at school. She was never given a chance to do any of those things, yet no matter how relieved she should've felt, a part of her wished for someone's shoulders to cry on - to let her worries and dilemmas pour out in one devastated flood of tears. What was the ultimate problem? She had not the foggiest idea.

Bianca handed her a frosting covered doughnut on the way out. They held two bright red umbrellas high over their heads as they raced to the Nacrene Museum, laughing and shoving like a group of school girls. She had no reasons to worry. Life still went on fine, and her legs long stopped hurting when she walked. _This too shall pass._ Maybe it will past…with time.

A heavy scent of Febreze air fresheners smack the four teens right in the face as they entered the museum. Lenora had sanitized the entire museum again for the third time this week. It took them a week to reopen the museum after the grunts/Emma ransacked the place from head to toe. Out of pure guilt, Emma volunteered along with the gang to help Lenora straighten up the shelves and rid the place of any memories from that night's terror. The broken glass cages were removed, and the burned walls were covered with plastic bubble wrap, awaiting construction. Emma never really knew what happened to the damaged paintings, but their voices whispered to her from beyond the grave every time she went back to the gallery.

Yes, she did make frequent trips there, always just to stare at that portrait of the with green-haired king. Several times, she would remove the frames from the walls and peeked under the aged wooden backside as if it had some ambiguous code like the Mona Lisa. Was she just imagining things, or was there a real connection?

They went through their regular routine: said hello to Lenora, receive instructions for that day's work, and set off to complete their task. Emma was given the job of organizing the library that day, and she found herself wandering between columns and columns of eighteenth centaury text, her glassy eyes wondering up and down each tightly wrapped binding, not really sure what was to be done. Eventually she settled in the history section, her eyes scanning each book meticulously. She swore she left that book here somewhere. Nobody could've checked it out except for her.

It had became a habit - more fitting with her new personality - to eavesdrop on nearby customers as she crawled through these useless hours of time. One of the favorite topics, of course, was about the museum's one week shutdown. Rumors exaggerated and stretched itself as long as it would go from mouth to mouth. It started from a small robbery, to a loose Druddigon, to a full scale murder investigation. Today, however, she overheard something quite different.

"Do you have any plans tomorrow?" It was Cheren's voice, barely recognizable without the egotistic coating. He was speaking to Bianca, who stood next to him stirring a cup of cappuccino with her ring finger.

"Why tomorrow?" Bianca asked nonchalantly. She said it innocently enough, but she had clearly pressed too much buttons.

"Because tomorrow is Sunday and the museum is closed," Cheren blushed feverishly. He glanced around suspiciously, forcing Emma to slip behind a couple of blue textbooks. His voice dropped to an intense hiss. "Plus tomorrow is…well you know…VALENTINES DAY!"

"Well, where do you propose we go?"

"A café?" Cheren shrugged. "I haven't worked out the details yet."

Valentine's day - a day that meant nothing to Emma except for the chocolate on sale - was about to pass her by yet again. She thought about a certain Valentine's day, about a decade ago when she was in the prime of her kindergarten years in Kanto (or was it Johto? She couldn't quite remember well since she moved so much) and a boy named Scott. Scott and Emma got married around snack time that same day a decade or so ago. There was a beautiful Elm tree up front, and her best friend Julia Levi was her bridesmaid, and that fat face Kimberly Alaska ended up as the flower girl. They were suppose to live happily ever after, but one day, Emma caught Scott sharing his lunch with Kimberly Fat-face, and she filed for divorce in a heartbeat.

Emma turned away and left her friends to their awkward exchange. Time slips by so fast when you're on the road. It has been more than a month since Emma stepped out of Nuvema Town, and she had never once looked back. But did going forward meant putting herself in more danger than she's already in? She had foiled Team Plasma's plan, and she had set their targets straight at her head. Being public enemy number one was a lot more terrifying than she was willing to admit.

Emma blinked. There it was! Her brain capacities must be overloading with stress because she couldn't even remember where that stupid book was hidden. The object might as well had been inches away from her face all along.

_I wonder where Scott is right now,_ Emma thought amusingly. _He could still be pretty hot. _Maybe if she contacted him, he would still go out with her…but she didn't have his phone number, much less his Skype name. _Where is your stupid brain headed, Emma! _The girl could feel her face burning a bright red hue. The Love Bug had taken its first nibble on her this year, but what she didn't know was that it's about to strike again when she least expected it.

Emma took a breath and hurried out of the shelves with _Unova: A Concise History of Nobility_ buried deep within the folds of her sweater.

-.-.-.-

Valentine's day was neither promising or welcoming, instead the cloud-smeared sky was dreary, and the snow that piled up to one's knees were shoveled aside in a disgraceful lump to make way for traffic. In addition, the frosty air was cold enough to make popsicles out of a pot of boiling water. For Emma, this was nothing. The weather matched her mood perfectly.

Nevertheless, Valentine's day didn't want to go down without a fight. The moment Emma stepped out of her room, she was met by a broadcasting of the Sunday sermon accompanied by the overrated lyrics of Maroon 5's _Sugar_ blasting from two separate radios in the lounge. Even the Old Testament seem to have a date this year. Bright pink hearts lit the streets with its sickening sweet tease, and late Christmas lights watched over the customers in the Café Warehouse.

Everyone on the streets seemed to have an agenda to fill, and someone to do it with. Emma was probably the only single person strolling in the sidewalks, but she didn't care. When a Vanillite bounced on top of a tree branch, sending condensed snow tumbling down on her hair, she didn't even blink. The dove-like chirps of passerby made her feel like she was drowning in pure pressure.

Emma picked up her pace as she neared the Nacrene Museum. It was closed on Sundays, but Lenora entrusted her with a spare key. Emma needed a place to lie low until this stupid Love Bug thing blows over, and she also had some research to take care of.

The museum was felt strangely still as Emma switched on the lights. Gusts of wind flew through the windows and sang songs about dead that haunts this place. A trail of snow followed Emma into the library section like a long chain or (in the spirit of the holidays) a clingy boyfriend. She found the book she was looking for pretty quickly, and held on it more tightly than she intended. There was always the fear of those men jumping out from behind the shelves, grabbing her neck and twisting and…

"HOLY CRAP!" Emma exclaimed. She turned around the corner and out of nowhere Jack appeared, carrying a bucket load of books which he all dropped in surprise.

"What are youdoing here?" they both cried in unison.

"Lenora trusted _me_ with the spare keys," Emma said as she kneeled to pick up her book. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Simple pin tumbler lock," Jack shrugged. He bent to pick his collection too, but as he stood up, one of the books slipped and Emma saw that it was a children's book called _The Frozen Dragon._ "It's like stealing pocket money from a little girl. Just slip that in nonchalantly to Lenora please. I'll feel bad if she gets robbed again."

"How do I know if you aren't working for…working for _them._" When the words left her mouth, she felt kind of bland and stupid. Did she have any reasons to suspect _anything_ at all?

"Woah, I don't think I follow you there. I'm not working for Team Plasma or anything. Well, at least I don't think so. You know what, things have been a little chaotic and confusing for me lately."

Emma laughed. It was not a nervous little chuckle, but genuine relief that there was somebody else in the world that understood how she felt.

"I'm sorry," Emma said as she sat down on a chair. "I am just a little on edge, you know, after what happened."

"I imagine it is a bit frightening," Jack said, eyeing her suspiciously. "That reminds me, you haven't told anyone what really happened that night."

"But I did-"

"I know a lie when I see one, Emma," Jack smiled. He fiddled playfully with the lamp on the table. "Just like I know a bad tumbler lock when I see one. What is that you are reading anyways?"

"It's all right here," Emma said, holding up the thick copy of _Unova: A Concise History of Nobility._ "Somewhere in here lies an answer that will probably raise more questions. Have a look."

She passed on the book to Jack who took it hesitantly. He flipped through the pages awkwardly, his eyes squinting at the microscopic words. In ten seconds he gave up and returned the book back to Emma.

"I'm sorry," Jack laughed nervously. "I can't seem to make sense of more than two words."

"Come on!" Emma cried incredulously. "You can run fast, pick locks, and all those cool stuff, but you're telling me you can't make sense of _this_? Is this why you are reading children's books"

"For your information, they are part of my research. But to be honest, I haven't really read in a while. I've been busy…with some personal problems, and there simply isn't time."

"How about this: you tell me this _thing_ you've kept secret for so long and I will tell you what really happened that night in the museum."

She knew it was stupid, and she would probably regret it for the rest of her life. Jack's eyes brightened with interest immediately, and Emma could tell he had been waiting for her to slip this whole time. Unfortunately, it would also cost him something too. He had no rights to know her secrets, but on the other hand, she had no rights to his mind either. Sacrificing one secret for another. How much was she willing to put on line? Emma could tell that Jack was thinking about the same thing.

"There was a car accident," Jack begun, meticulous with his words, "And it took away my family."

Emma wanted to say something, but Jack held out a hand to stop her.

"I was stubborn and refuse to stay in foster care. I would run away, but I had always returned because I was afraid. Then one night, I ran away for real, or so I thought. I was foolish and thought that by walking alone in this narrow road, peerless, is being brave. I thought that running away with my own precious sense of justice and liberty was called heroic. Never once did I feel the need to look back. Wind blowing through my hair, the freedom of walking down a road without realizing that it only ends at the edge of a cliff. I thought that the process shoving down my fears and breaking away from my old memories is showing strength. If I throw all of my feelings away and fall into the endlessness of oblivion, I will proof my strength. Boy, was I wrong!

"Luckily, someone came along and gave me a second chance, and I accepted this because I was unsure of what I wanted at first, but then I realized that there just might be something worth fighting for here, you know? The feeling of the wind when it stopped blowing and your stomach starts growling and all you wanted to do is look back - look back and those you've left behind in your journey, look back at those memories you've managed to hold on to.

"It was then that I realized that I couldn't blame them for abandoning me because I was the one that left them behind. The cliff before me was gone. Their lively voices had been cheering me on this whole time because at the end of the road, they are the ones who will be waiting for me. By then, I probably won't be 'strong' anymore, but I've found a new strength that pushes me to live on. And that is my story."

Jack stopped to fumble with the shiny surface of his book. He turned the already weakened corners back and forth and flipped through each page without really acknowledging it, all while keeping his head down.

Emma didn't know what to do. She should've never asked him about his past just for her own curiosity. He and everyone else had the right to know about what happened that night at the museum whereas she had no excuse to temp him at all. Jack's story had dug a pit in her stomach - a pit that sunk deeper by the second.

"Why did you lie about your past?" Emma murmured,

"Why did you lie about the Nacrene Museum?"

Biting back her hesitation, Emma reached out a grabbed Jack's hand. When she pulled away, Jack found himself staring at a cold white stone placed in his palm. He looked at her with a thousand questions carved in his face. Emma took a deep breath. It was time to fulfill her end of the bargain.

"That was what they were after," Emma tried to explain the best she could. "It is called -"

"It is called the Light Stone," Jack inserted. "Legend has it that a thousand years ago, a war between truth and ideals reign the land of Unova. Two brothers fought to assert their own beliefs, but they ended up tearing the land apart. Then -"

"Then they were put in hibernation in the form of the Light and Dark Stone. Yes, I know."

"That explains why they went through all that trouble to create a diversion, so they can steal the Light Stone."

"But you heard Lenora," Emma tried to keep a straight face. Even if she wasn't letting anything on, Jack could probably piece together the entire puzzle soon enough. "The stones are just legends. You couldn't possibly believe them."

"Oh, but I do!" Jack leaned closer, a grin spread across a face as if someone had unzipped his mouth. "And my research leads me to believe that there is a third party."

"What third party?"

"Look at this!" Jack exclaimed impatiently, shoving his copy of _The Frozen Dragon_ right at her face. "Look at this picture. It is a caricature of a drawing in the ancient text."

"You mean the Bible?"

"You guys have a…. Okay, never mind that. Just look closely at the picture."

Emma blinked blankly at the picture before her. It was a handsomely drawn replica of a painting she saw once (probably still hanging in Mrs. Hwang's chalkboard back in first grade), except she never thought much about it before. The picture depicts two dragons in the mist of battle with a ominous storm cloud looming over behind them. Then, Emma's pulse quickened when she saw something she had never noticed before. A pair of icy blue eyes stared back at her through a curtain of darkness. Any moment now, she expected them to jump out at her. How powerful those two twinkles of lights seemed! It was watching them like it could stepped in any moment to intervene - like it could tear the entire world apart with a single breath.

Then the images came rushing in.

Just like that night.

A woman was yelling at her husband. There was a dingy little room with a worn-out chair besides the stove. Two young boys clung to each other in the corner, crying and confused. The brick stove sizzled and the night wind howled through the open window. There was a newborn baby lying on a small pile of hay, to all the world it seemed so calm in the heart of chaos. He stared directly at Emma, his mouth moving but no noise could be heard. Just when baby reached his hands out to her, a sucking void pulled Emma away from her delirium and right back into the museum, her eyes still lingering on the photo and her breath heavy as if she had just ran a mile.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, peeking at her over the top of the book.

Emma looked at him and then at the pair of eyes within the storm. There was just too much. No! She couldn't return to that moment of helplessness. Never should she have any excuse to feel powerless again! But as she stared into the stormy clouds and the war before of her, she realized that there was no strength to show. There was nothing prove.

For once in a very long time, Emma cried like a normal girl.

"Oh my god," Jack mumbled, panicking. "Why are you crying? Did I do something to upset you? Do you need me to call an ambulance? Is it 911, or something else? Shit, I don't have a phone!"

The terror in Jack's confusion hardly persuaded Emma's situation. She felt so entrapped in fate's relentless grasp. Everywhere she turned she heard the cries of the children. The man wanted to throw away the kids because they had too many mouths to feed. The woman was begging for them to stay. _He is just an infant,_ Emma could remember the woman's last words. _Pray to Arceus so he may give us mercy!_ The figures remained in her vision no matter how hard she tried to squeeze them out. Where is your God now?

"I'm going back!" Emma finally spoke. "This journey is too much for me. I am going back to the Pokémon Center to pack my bags."

Emma stood up, violently throwing her chair aside. But before she could leave, Jack grabbed her hand. She looked back through the blur of tears and tried to pull away, but Jack's hand were determine to lock on.

"Don't leave!" Jack said. "It is okay to turn back and it is alright to cry, but running away is absolutely unacceptable."

The words were so familiar, Emma could have said them herself. "You don't understand!" Emma cried. "This is serious crap, not some game!"

"I do understand," Jack said. He bit back his frustration and gave her a look that was teaming with emotions. Emma faltered, her legs refused to move. "Do _you_ think this is just a game? Do you think it feels good to have your family torn away from you? Do you think it's funny to be stuck in the middle of something you don't understand?"

"I…I can't…." Emma was speechless. She never knew Jack felt that strongly about their current situation. It was then that Emma realized how selfish she had been her whole life. All this time it felt as if it had been all about her and nobody else. _She _was the one with the messed up life; _she _was the one with something to cry about. But as she looked back into her friend's tearful eyes, she realized that Jack was right. People didn't abandon her, she was the one that left them behind.

"Then you leave me no choice," Jack announced.

"What do you mean?"

"Emma White. I hereby challenge you to a battle."

"You-you can't be serious!" Emma felt like laughing, but she was hardly in the mood for that, much less a battle.

"You said it yourself. This is serious crap and not some stupid game. I can't let you leave without one last battle. So will you accept?"

"If you will let me go then, yes, I don't mind one last battle."

"Great!" Jack smiled almost childishly. "I swear, this is not exactly my worse Valentine's Day."

One moment he was so serious and the next he was smiling at her as if nothing had ever came between them. Emma remembered what he had said a month ago about how stupid battles were. Maybe he really has changed.

"Come on," Jack called halfway across the room. "I know a good spot where we can have our battle. It's the place where you were suffered from mental retardation a few weeks ago."

"I wasn't suffering from -!" Emma countered, but Jack was already out the door. Emma wanted to be angry at him, to slap him across the face for being such an idiot, but she didn't. It was too late, a smile had crept like an unwelcome guest upon the edge of her lips.

Once they got outside, Jack summoned his Pawniard and Emma brought out her Dewott. The moment Dewott was out of her pokéball, a pang of realization hit Emma right in the face. Now that explains why Jack wanted this battle!

As Emma stared into the giddy eyes of her water-type friend, she realized that if she wanted to give up on her training career, she would have to give up on Dewott too. There was just too much left unsaid between them. Emma knew she was a lousy trainer, and she probably stuck her nose too much in other people's business for her own good, but she can never betray her Pokémon. Emma had a brief flashback to when she made that promise to Dewott. She promised they will go all the way, beat the Unova League, and become the Champions. No! She promised.

"Damn it!" Emma cursed, another pool of tears swelling in her eyes (what is with all this crying?). "You are right. This is stupid. I am a complete fool!"

"No it is not," Jack said. "And you are not stupid. I mean you are like the most awesome person I've ever met."

"Stop it!"

"No! I am serious! You are a smart, funny, badass criminal chaser, and some words I really can't think of right now…"

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes! And on top of that, you are a tremendous trainer. I…please don't take this the wrong way but I was like one-hundred percent sure that you won't abandon Dewott…which is why I ask for this battle."

"And I am dumb enough to fall for that."

"Show me what you've got," Jack smiled, holding Pawniard's empty pokéball up confidently. "Show me the real Emma White!"

"Dewott, use Water Gun," Emma commanded. This is it, she thought. This is the real Emma White. I'm not going back to the wretched cage that I've already left behind. I am going to stand up to Team Plasma. I am the rock that blocks all projectiles life throws this way, even the curveballs. But I don't have to do this alone. I have friends, and they will always be there for me no matter what.

Dewott, sensing her master's renewal bravado, sent her most dazzling Water Gun yet straight at her opponent. Pawniard leap aside, barely able to dodge the beam.

"Furry Cutter! Now!"

"Use your Razor Shells, Dewott."

The two Pokémon collided into a boxing match with neither side relenting. Jack and Emma rushed forward to cheer her Pokémon on. Throughout the fight, Dewott received some bruises and Pawniard got a few dents. Emma glanced up at Jack and blinked. She saw a fiery burning in his eyes, brighter than she had ever seen anything burn. The past is the past. No matter what wreckage they've endured, they were still alive and able to find their own little piece of happiness, and that is what matters.

"Quick, use Feint Attack on Dewott!"

"Block the attack with your shells!"

"Get ready Pawniard. Break through with Metal Claw."

"Stop it with Water Pulse."

Pawniard jumped back and charged once again, determined to cripple Dewott's defense. His blade-arms began to glow like the alluring moon, tearing apart the air before them with their beauty and power. Dewott took a step forward and brought her hands together at the chest. With all of her remaining willpower, she summoned a great sphere of water.

When the two Pokémon crashed, a great explosion of water rendered the area and their trainers stunned and soaking. Both Pokémon were still standing and ready for more.

Laughter.

The world had finally released the breath it had held in for so long and collapsed in laughter. Both trainers laid in the snow-covered patch of dirt howling in laughter.

"I think we should stop here," Jack said to his confused Pawniard. "I'm thirsty and need a break."

"So, it is a draw then," Emma declared. "To be continued next time, I guess."

"Too be continued…" Jack echoed.

They both retrieved their Pokémon. But then, there was a small moment of awkwardness as the two teenagers stood there staring at the sudden, light snowfall.

"Do you want to go inside for a drink?" Emma asked. She could feel her face turning red. "I know where Lenora keeps the coffee, but if you want alcohol…."

"No," Jack shook his head intently. "Coffee is fine."

Emma turned away and freed the smile she had kept pent up for so long. If you've ever tried it, it is extremely hard to hide a smile. Emma sighed and turned to the Nacrene Museum, now rid of all specters she'd feared. Maybe this won't be such a bad Valentine's Day after all.

* * *

**Cheren, Bianca, Jack, and Emma: You are fucking evil.**

**Yes I am. Are the ships setting sail too early? Maybe. Is Emma giving up too soon? Well, let me evaluate on my decision for the chapter. I don't think it is too early for Emma to have doubts. People usually want to give up in the beginning, not when they get used to the job.**

**Valentines Day is a day that reeks with desperation. It is sort of like Homecoming in high school, except freshmen are immune to the effect because we can't afford to get in lol. I know this chapter threatens to drown in sappiness and most of the scenes seem too typical, but I think it is pretty sweet and heartwarming in the same time to tell someone else what you're really feeling.**

**Also, I thought the ending was kind of symbolical. The fact that Jack refused the alcohol (again, it was an inside joke between me and my friends) and went for the coffee instead. My friends and I kind of made coffee into a very symbolical drink. Whatever problems we are going through, coffee is always the solution. It is one of those things that are stupid, but it really puts a smile in your face when you think about how stupid it is.**

**Anyways, I haven't really decided on how the next chapter should progress. The ideas I got weren't really interesting, but I'll keep working on it.**

**In the mean time, please review, fav, or follow.**


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